No Regrets
by nikolledenise
Summary: Annabelle Stevens knew she loved Rafael Barba during their first date. There wasn't a light bulb going off above her head; she just felt it in her heart the moment he smiled & his eyes lit up. Follow the couple as they face the firing squad, also known as the SVU detectives, as well as both personal and professional issues that develop as they ride the roller coaster that is love.
1. Dinner & A Rumor

Hey guys, so it's been awhile and I haven't really written any fanfiction in a long time. Also, this is my first SVU story. Let me know what you think? - N

Annabelle Stevens sighed in relief as she released her dark auburn hair from the harsh bun it had been forced into during the seven hours she spent on the Hudson campus earlier in the day. Making her way up the stairs of her loft apartment, she dropped her bags on the hardwood floor, before falling onto face first onto her King size bed.

The few months of silence were quickly shattered as her phone began blaring from the back pocket of her navy blue dress pants. Groaning, she pressed the circular green button, "what."

A deep chuckle met her ears as she put it on speaker and resumed her position, "tough day, carina?" When unrecognizable mumblings were his only reply, he continued, "Do you want to meet me at Gotham? Or do you want me to bring take out?"

She shrugged, before remembering that he could not see her, "Doesn't matter. How late are you staying?"

"Nothing more I can do tonight."

Annabelle propped herself up onto her knees and brought the phone to her ear, "I'll meet you at Gotham. But I'm not changing." His laughter was the only reply she heard before hanging up.

Kicking her heels to the side, as she passed them, she stripped her blue short sleeved jacket off, as well as her Beatles t-shirt, before grabbing a mint colored long sleeved lace top and slipping it on before grabbing a pair of flats from the bottom of her closet.

Swiping a fresh coat of her deep red lipstick onto her usually pale pink lips, Annabelle locked her door and began her memorized path to the subway station.

-xxx-

Annabelle closed her eyes in temporary relief as she walked pass the air conditioned doors of Gotham tavern, thankful to be out of the humid air surrounding Manhattan. She nodded at the bartender before walking to their usual table, where her boyfriend was already seated. He stood up, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, before pulling her chair away from the table.

She smiled in appreciation as he walked back to his side of the table, "Hola."

His lips curved upwards as they formed his usual smirk, "Hola. I ordered your usual and the food."

"You, my love, are perfect. I'm starving." She took a long drink of her violet tinted cocktail before speaking again, "So, how was your day? Make any lawyers cry?" She grinned at the unimpressed look she received, "But on the real, there is something I need to tell you about."

She paused as their first courses were placed in front of the duo. He took the opportunity to question her nervous features, "Did something happen?"

Annabelle's face clouded in confusion before realization filled her eyes, "No!" She winced at the loudness of her voice, before repeating at a much softer volume, "Nothing like that. At least not to me. Uhm, I heard some rumors today about a party this weekend…and from what I gathered from the random pieces I caught, it seemed like a freshman was…" she paused as she watched him eat one of the oysters, reminding her that she had not eaten all day.

He covered his mouth as he spoken, "and?"

"And the guys they were talking about. It isn't the first time I've heard their names. I mean, in this context. And, I know it's probably nothing, but I wasn't sure if you had a case about it or something and if it would—"

"Thank you," green met blue as he interrupted her rambling explanation, "I haven't heard anything, but I'm glad you let me know." He gently squeezed her hand as their shared dessert was brought out, "you need to be careful, regardless of whether or not what you've heard it true."

Once the night was over and the couple sat parked in front of Annabelle's building's entrance, silent except for the sounds of their breathing, intermingling with each other as their lips continually met. "Raf, I really have to go." Kiss. "I've got papers to grade." Kiss. "And papers to write." Kiss. "If I fail, I will kill you."

His short chuckle separated them long enough for her to begin catching her breath, "Text me when you get up, okay?"

"Yup. Love you."

"Love you, carina." Another kiss and she was slipping out of the car and into the building she had occupied for three years.

Rafael sat in his car, watching as the light on the third floor switched on, signifying that Annabelle had made it into the loft. His phone pinged thirty seconds later.

Annabelle Stevens: I'm in. I'm safe. The door is locked. Quit staring at my house like a creeper. Love you.


	2. Two Truths & A Lie

I started this the day after I posted chapter one, then I had to work. A lot. So, I'm just now getting it finished. I'll most likely post chapter three either Tuesday or Thursday night. Let me know what you think? -N

Chapter Two – Two Truths and a Lie

Annabelle rolled her eyes, turning the volume up to the music as she tried to drown out the boisterous laughter coming from the table behind her in the Hudson campus center, occasionally taking a small bite of her Subway sandwich when taking a break from writing about the latest section she read for her Chaucer class.

Raf: How is the paper going?

Annabelle: It would go better if the hockey players sitting at the next table would shut up about their latest "conquests".

She could almost picture the look of disgust that she knew would filter across his face, at least until he schooled his features, as she watched the three little bubbles appear signifying that he was writing a reply.

Raf: I don't want to know.

Raf: Liv's here. See you tonight.

Annabelle sent him a simple heart in reply before saving the already three page document and closing her laptop with a quiet snap. Gathering the stuff into her ever present messenger bag she left the center, unaware that a pair of eyes followed each movement the jean clad girl made.

-xxx-

"Anna?" The meek voice was accompanied by the freshman girl, Annabelle had been telling her boyfriend about, only a week prior. "Can I talk to you? I know when Dr. Roberts introduced you she said that we could come to you and I just…I…nevermind. I'm sorry."

Annabelle shot up from her regular seat, grabbing the blonde's wrist, cringing when the action resulted in a flinch. "It's okay. Megan, right?" The answering nod pushed her to move forward and grab her bag, "Let's get some coffee."

The duo walked in silence until they arrived at the coffee shop a block off of the Hudson campus; after ordering their drinks they quickly settled into a small booth and discussed how Megan's freshman classes were going as they waited for their orders to be filled.

Once they had their drinks in hand, Annabelle broke the silence, "So, what's up?"

"I didn't know who to ask. I don't really have any friends here. And my roommate is…ugh…I don't really know where to start."

The older girl smiled in sympathy, "I know what you mean. I didn't really get many friends here until my second semester. It's a new world compared to high school. How about you start from the beginning? At the risk of sounding stereotypical, it's usually the best place."

"Hannah, my roommate, she invited me to the party at Sigma Tau. The one a couple of weeks ago and. Well, I don't remember drinking, but I must have and I don't know if I fell asleep or passed out or what. But when I woke up, he was on me. I told him to stop and tried to make him, but he just –"

Annabelle put her hand on top the obviously distraught girls, "I get it. If you said stop, it's illegal. Did you tell security? Or anyone?"

"I went to the doctor a couple of days later. He's closed on weekends and I didn't want to go to the hospital. I didn't know if it was something they would report or not. I mean, I don't know if I can handle that. I mean, with everyone knowing. How does someone live with that?"

Annabelle took a moment to digest the new information by taking a sip of her now almost cold coffee, "I can't imagine what you're going through, and I can't say what I would do if it was me, but I would like to think I would want to report it. Just knowing that he is capable of that makes me wonder what else he is capable of, ya know?"

"Will you go with me?"

"Of course. Let me make a call and we'll go, okay?" Megan gave her a nod, before focusing on her half empty cup of tea.

Annabelle walked out of the shop, dialing before she even reached the door. "Barba."

"Hey, are you busy right now?"

"Not too busy for you, carino. Que pasa?" (What's up?)

"Can you meet me at the station? I'm bringing a girl who is in the freshman English class I TA in."

"I'll head that way now."

"Thanks. Love you."

"You, too."

-xxx-

Less than twenty minutes later, the female duo walked into the SVU precinct, Annabelle silently passing a Grande cup to the Cuban ADA, who thanked her with a small smirk before motioning to Benson.

The brunette lieutenant introduced herself before asking Megan to follow her and Rollins into her office, Annabelle perching herself on the edge an empty desk. Catching the raised eyebrow of her boyfriend, she sent him a playful glare, "What? As if you don't do it."

He rolled his eyes before coming to lean against Rollins' abandoned desk, next to her, "learn anything new and exciting today?"

"You mean, besides what a Twisty Three-way is?" He opened his mouth before she cut him off, "apparently it's very fulfilling. I think I'll pass on _ever_ trying that." Her scoff brought a smile to his face as he finished the rest of his coffee, his hand brushing against her thigh as he passed.

Once he settled in next to her once more, she spoke, "Shouldn't you be in there with Megan?"

He nodded, "I trust Liv. I'm supposed to be asking the initial outcry witness about Megan's statement, and whether or not she'll testify if it goes to court."

Annabelle glanced around before running her hand up his arm and softly squeezing her bicep, "I'm not sure. Why don't you come over for dinner tonight and convince me?" She winked as she started to walk away, "I'm going to get a soda if Megan gets finished before I'm back." Feeling his eyes on her back, she gave her hips a little extra sway.


	3. An Arrest & A Trial

Hey guys! Here's chapter three. If any of the twitter URLs are real, I definitely did not plan for them to be that way. Chapter four will be up next week, if not before. Let me know what you think? -N

Chapter Three – An Arrest & A Trial

RebeccaZ: some jock just got arrested in my algebra class.

KitTakesPhotos: wth did I just see?!

IndigoJane: She is obviously lying. #FreeBryce

JacksonPargitay: you cant rape the willing. #slut

Annabelle rolled her eyes, the last tweet making her close the app, jumping when a text message alert came through.

Megan: Did you hear? They arrested Bryce.

Anna: I saw. How you feeling?

Megan: Better already. Want lunch?

Sending the affirmative, she straightened the stack of essays she had been marking up in red ink, before tossing the filled folder into her bag and walking out of the office.

Fifteen minutes later, she was sitting next to the freshman victim with a slice of pizza and a Mountain Dew in front of her.

"Am I being paranoid or –"

"No. They are looking at you. He was arrested for your attack. It was only a matter of time before you name got out. I just didn't think it would be this fast."

-xXx-

"Can we go?" The duo had finished their lunches and had just been talking about life, when Megan suddenly posed the question, causing Annabelle to follow what caught her eye. Seeing a few guys from the hockey team headed their direction, she nodded and followed Megan who was walking fast.

The red head closed her eyes in frustration when they turned the corner, only to come face to face with Bryce's two best friends. She wasn't sure of their names, just referring to them as the Twisty Three-way Twins.

"You're making a big mistake, Woods." Seeing Megan shrink back, closer to her side, filled Annabelle with a protective rage she did not even know she was capable of.

Stepping up slightly, in order to partially block their view of the brunette, her voice was barely controlled, "Why don't you just back off?"

Twin one's eyes flashed, grabbing her upper arm tightly, "And you. You think we don't know what you did? That you're a _witness_. If you knew what was good for you, you'd walk away…like you should have two weeks ago"

She wrenched her arm from his grip, voice calmly quiet, "Is that a threat?"

"Consider it a friendly warning. After all, accidents happen. Ev…ery…day."

Blue eyes narrowed, "Go to hell," she brushed past the frat boy, Megan quickly following, both aware of the boys' gazes following their steps.

-xXx-

Annabelle grimaced as she twisted her left arm around in the mirror's reflection, attempting to get a complete view of the purple hand shaped bruise that was only getting darker as time passed. She sighed, pulling a long sleeved blue top over her white tank top, just as a knock sounded at her front door.

Her bare feet made no sound as she padded across the studio apartment to slowly open the door, a smile on her face as she met the eyes of her boyfriend. Her lips touched his for a soft kiss, before she allowed herself to look at him in his three piece tan suit, as he crossed the threshold. "Perfect timing. I just set dinner on the table about five minutes ago."

Rafael slipped his jacket from his frame, draping it across the back of the couch, his tie being dislodged from its tight knot, moments later, as his eyes found the multiple bowls sitting atop the dark wooden table and his finger laced through hers as he kissed her neck, "You're perfect."

Giggles met his ears, as she half-heartily pushed him away, "Sit. Eat." She felt his eyes on her backside as she poured his usual glass of scotch, before grabbing herself a glass of sweet tea and sitting next to him.

As the couple filled their shells with their chosen ingredients, the Cuban spoke, "I had to tell Cutter about us."

The twenty-five year old paused, allowing the spoon full of cheese to momentarily hover over the half assembled taco, "Okay."

"I tried to recluse myself, but he said it was fine." Annabelle nodded in understanding. "I didn't want Buchanan to use it against us."

"I'm glad he didn't make you give the case to someone else. You're the best. I know we agreed to keep personal, personal and professional, professional, but things happen. At least this way, I can show up to your office for a quickie." She grinned, holding in her laugh, as he coughed around the drink he had just taken, looking at her with wide eyes. "Kidding. The first time I decide to have sex, especially with you, will not be a quickie."

"You're trying to kill me." She just gave him a secretive smile as she took the straw of her sweet tea into her mouth to get a drink.

-xXx-

Annabelle rolled her neck, looking up from the message she just received, in order to mark the paper she was grading with a B minus, before focusing back onto what Dr. Roberts was saying to the class. The TA made a mental note to tell the professor that she would not be able on the 13th of November, as that was now the official date to the start of Megan's trial. Exactly one month to go.

Reading the first paragraph of the next paper in the stack made her want to smack whoever wrote it, especially when she skimmed the rest of the five pages to confirm whether or not her suspicions were correct. When the class was dismissed, she left her stuff at the desk she was occupying at the back of the classroom to speak to graying lady, never noticing the figure at the top of the stairs, hidden by the shadows.


	4. Two Police Statments & A Furious Cuban

I told myself that I would have the trial in this chapter, but I found a good stopping point and wanted to go ahead and get this out there. The trial will be in chapter five, promise. Anything you wanna see? Anything you love? Hate? Let me know. –N

Chapter Four – Two Police Statements & A Furious Cuban

Annabelle groaned, massaging her temples, questioning why she ever agreed to be Dr. Roberts' teaching assistant as part of her internship. Between the internship ad her own classes, she rarely had time for much else. The only good thing was the fact that Rafael was just as busy and it did not put a strain on their relationship. The weekends were the only time they ever really got to spend time with each other, and even then one or both of them would be surrounded by papers. The door clicking open caused her to look up, towards the entrance of Rafael's brownstone. The ADA gave her a smile as he carried the bags of Chinese takeout towards the kitchen, pushing the door shut with the bottom of his dark shoes. Tossing the never ending stack of essays onto the glass topped coffee table, unfolding her sweatpants covered legs and adding into the now brightly lit kitchen.

"Okay, finish your story?" She watched as he ate part of a wonton, fresh from the box, as he slipped his suit jacket off. They had been speaking on the phone, before he made it to the Chinese restaurant, on his way home from work.

"Turns out, the idiot didn't even check how many times the paper had been used, or who the original author was. He's now facing an interdisciplinary meeting." She chewed a piece of sweet and sour chicken before continuing, "Especially don't be stupid enough turn in a paper written by the person actually grading your papers." Dipping another small piece into her sauce, she let it drip slightly, "Luckily, I only have about seven more papers to grade. Then, I'm done with grading until, I think, the end of November, thank God." His chuckle met her ears, before they were enveloped in a comfortable silence; until the last of the meal was devoured and they were cracking open their fortune cookies. "Do you have work to do tonight?"

Rafael shook his head, dropping his tiny slip of paper onto the table's surface, "I was thinking a movie, unless you have to finish that grading tonight?"

She gave him a small smile, excitement filling her eyes, "I'll do it tomorrow or Sunday." Popping a broken piece of the vanilla cookie into her mouth, "I'll clean up, if you wanna go set it up?" She saw him open his mouth from the corner of her eye, so she answered the question she assumed he was about to ask. "I'm up for anything." He nodded, kissing the top of her head as he passed.

After she finished putting the leftovers into his silver refrigerator, making a mental note to go shopping next week, as the shelves had gotten pretty bare, and she could get the stuff for him when she went to restock her own house, she quickly washed the two glasses they had used, just as the music signifying the film's menu was awaiting on the screen. Joining him on the leather couch, she laughed seeing the title, "Somehow I knew you'd pick _Friday Night Lights_. You're set on me not falling asleep on it."

He gave her a grin, "Maybe fifth time's the charm." She gave him a soft, slow kiss before leaning on his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her, as the opening credits began.

-xXx-

Throwing her shoulder length red hair into an extremely messy ponytail, Annabelle finished the comment she was writing before marking a grade on the top of the cover page and tossing the essay on top of the stack of finished grading. Picking up the last five page paper, she made a note on the yellow legal pad she had swiped from Rafael's home desk earlier that morning to reduce five points for the lack of name, already frustrated as she had forgotten to finish the grading on Sunday. It was now Monday and she was rushing to get them all completed before they were due to the professor by 3pm that day. The first page of the paper was well written, a lot better than she had come to expect from the freshmen, the second page made her stop. While the first and third paragraphs were in black ink, the second was printed in a dark red, which had her questioning whether or not if it was on purpose.

 _Annabelle, do you know the story of Icarus? Icarus was warned by Daedalus not to use his wings too high. But Icarus flew too close to the sun anyway and the wax melted. He fell to his death. I'm Daedalus, and I'm warning you not to fly too high. You won't like the results. Annabelle, since I like you…I feel like we have a connection…I'll give you something for free. Megan Woods is nothing but a liar. Bryce didn't rape her. In fact, he only met her in passing on the night of her so called attack. He's innocent. Oh, but Annabelle, I know who she did sleep with. The question remains though, was she raped? Or is she just another Hudson slut who got in over her head and decided to cry wolf? So, who did she sleep with? I know, and she damn well knows. Maybe you should ask her again, or better yet: drop her, because baby it's going to blow up and your pretty little wings are going to turn to ash and you're going to fall, hard._

She dropped the paper, heart pounding loudly in her ears, as she thought over what she had just read, as she picked her iphone up from its' spot on the desk, pulling up Rafael's name and typing a message before deleting it and running a hand over her face in frustration. Annabelle's eye catches the random penny that Dr. Roberts continuously keeps on her desk for good luck each day, her hand slowly reaching out for it. "Heads, I tell him. Tails, I keep my mouth shut." Lightly flipping it into the air, she automatically knows that she can't actually keep this to herself as it could be important to the case, closing her eyes as it lands on the desk with a clink and a slight roll before falling and showing tails. "Of course." Biting her lip, she pulled up Google on her laptop, typing in what she wanted. After typing the number into her cell, she waited for an answer. "Can I speak with Lieutenant Benson, please?" The red head listened to the silence as she was placed on hold for five minutes, before Benson's voice met her ears. "Hi, This is Annabelle Stevens. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something, and you not tell Raf-," she cleared her throat, "Mr. Barba about it, until absolutely necessary?" She could hear the apprehension in her voice when the older woman gave the reply, "Thank you. I can be at the station in about thirty minutes, if that's okay?"

-xXx-

"Is this the first time?"

Annabelle nodded before pausing and taking a deep breath, "No, I mean a couple of Bryce's friends said some things about Megan needing to drop it and knowing that I was a witness, but I ended it and we haven't heard anything since." She fiddled with the bottom of her jean vest as she spoken, not knowing how this conversation would turn out, telling herself she was an idiot for mentioning the confrontation between the two and the Twisty Three-way twins, thinking it didn't matter.

"Why didn't you come to us after that?"

The college student let out a puff of breath as she thought of the answer she wanted to give, "Honestly, I didn't think it was important. I mean, they're jocks. They give people crap on a daily basis. I haven't seen them since. I almost didn't come in for this, but if there is something Megan is leaving out, ya'll need to find it before Buchanan does."

"That's true," she held the paper up slightly, "Can I keep this or do I need to make a copy?" Annabelle shrugged, motioning with her hand for the officer to do anything she wanted with the offending pages, before standing up and grabbing her bag as Olivia walked to sit the newly claimed evidence on top of her desk, ready to get out of the station before Rafael decided to make a sudden appearance.

-xXx-

Annabelle cocked her head to the side as she did one last swipe of her blood red lipstick, before taking the curlers out of her hair, hoping that the large curls came out the way she wanted. After adjusting the black tube top to the exact place she wanted it to be, she affixed the freshly released hair into the position that looked best, before pulling up the camera on her phone and snapping a couple of mirror photos. Attaching her favourite, she sent a text to Rafael, simply stating "wish you were here." The tube top showed off a sliver of her pale stomach before the rest of her lower body was covered by skin tight, faux leather pants. Walking back into the only other room in the studio apartment, she fell onto the edge of her bed, in order to slip her six inch platform heels on, running her index finger over the fake diamonds that adorned the outer side of the heels. Grabbing her _Pink Ladies_ jacket, she shoved her phone, money, and house keys into the too shallow pockets of her pants, making a mental note to routinely check to make sure that they didn't get lost throughout the night.

Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Annabelle paused outside of the bar, before pulling it out to read the new message.

Raf: I wish I was there, cariño. You look beautiful.  
Annabelle: Gracias, amor. See you tomorrow.  
Raf: Not if I see you first.  
Smirking to herself, the red head showed her ID to the bouncer, before getting her hand stamped with the black light ink and walking into the gay club known as Hotmale. Her eyes instantly began scanning the building in search of her friends, before locking eyes on the four people doing shots at their own table. "The trouble is here!" She grinned, hugging and receiving cheek kisses from the three guys and the other female in attendance. "If I'd known you were gonna look so hot, mami…" he trailed off looking her up and down.  
She laughed, playfully slapping his chest, "Where's your boyfriend, Eric?" He shrugged, before pulling a five from his pocket and handing it to a nearby waitress who was making her rounds carrying a tray covered in test tube jello shots.  
Handing three to the girl, he spoke, "You're late, and we've already done a couple. So, three you get." They clicked the tubes together and brought them to their mouths, before he stopped her and asked the waitress to take a photo as all five people in the group now had test tubes in their hands. "To friends getting together for traditions, and for Annabelle finally removing her head from the damn books to get her drink on!" The group took their shots, the red head making a face as the strong taste of tequila hit her taste buds.  
"You know, it was five years ago tonight that we met?" Annabelle nodded along as Zach began to tell the story to the two additions to the group: Emily and Brendon. "This little shit right here, sat at the bar for an hour, watching. I didn't know what the fuck she was doing. She had turned her back on the bar and was just looking around. Not even touching her drink." He paused to pay for everyone to have another shot, restarting once they had all sucked them down, "So I go over there and ask what's up."  
Eric shook his head, "Nah, this bitch walked up and asked what the hell she was doing and whether or not she was a fruit fly."  
Zach shrugged his shoulders, unapologetically, "I was curious! And she laughed at me. With her cute little southern drawl and said she "ain't ever been called that before" and that she was waiting on a friend. Then _he_ comes in, and –"  
"Threatens to kick his ass, because I thought he was giving my girl issues."  
"The protective asshole thought I was hitting on her."  
Annabelle shook her head, "Nah, he was just afraid something was about to go down and didn't want anyone to know he had gotten me a fake ID. I didn't turn 21 until December, and apparently it's a crime for someone not to go party on Halloween." Taking a sip of her margarita, she smiled when she caught the eye of a blonde haired man sitting at the bar, "Speaking of, will you take our picture?" She looked between the two men before explaining, "I need to update my wall." She had a portion of her wall littered with photos of the trio from each Halloween, and she already knew this one would be joined by the one taken of the five of them doing shots. They rarely saw each other, due to their jobs and her class schedule, since the duo had graduated the May before.  
Hours later the group was dancing, Annabelle having already discarded her jacket after the first two songs, stopped long enough to shout that she needed a drink before making her way to the bar. As she waited for the water she ordered, she was approached from the same blonde as earlier. "Hey." She merely replied with a smile and a nod back, before he continued unperturbed, "I'm Jeremy."  
"Anna."  
He nodded towards the dance floor, where Zach and Eric were laughing with each other as they danced to the fast paced song, "One of those guys your boyfriend?"  
She looked back towards the dance floor, before giving a small laugh at the moves being moved, "Nah. Just my friends."  
"They together?"  
She narrowed her eyes as she sipped from her straw, "No." She watched his eyes roam other the pair, as if he was plotting something, making her instantly decide to leave the strange man, "See ya." Without waiting for a reply, he made her way back to the table that Emily and Brendon were sitting at, catching the end of their conversation. "Don't take that bet. They always hook up on Halloween. Then go back to being just friends on the first. They should just shut up and get married already." Laughter was her only reply.  
Annabelle yawned as the numbers on her phone switched to 1:30am, before grinning as she looked out onto the dance floor to see Robin Hood and a Mobster making out. Emily and Brendon had long ago left for their house, promises of a lunch date between girls in the books for the following week. She had thirty more minutes before the bar closed, and before the trio became solo as was tradition. Draining the last of her fourth margarita, she stood up, momentarily swaying, before making her way to the restroom. Once she had successfully emptied her bladder and had cleaned up the smeared make up, she pulled her phone out, happily taking a few minutes to enjoy the quietness of the room and checking the missed messages. Smiling as she saw the tagged photos and statuses on facebook, she liked them before heading back to skim through her text messages.  
Raf: I've seen your facebook. I regret not joining you.  
Annabelle: You can always come pick me up, if you want? ;)  
Raf: On my way, cariño.  
Using her fingers to poof her hair up a bit more from its flattened and sweaty state, she now stuck her phone into the back pocket of her skin tight jeans and made her way into the dimly lit hallway, only to run into Batman. "Oops. Sorry." He lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment before shifting over slightly to let her pass.  
"Annabelle."  
She paused, turning back to face the guy, "I'm sorry?" He just looked at her, instead of replying. "Do I know you?" More staring. "Okay, then…" she turned and began to walk away, only to squeak when a hand grabbed her left arm and shoved her roughly against the wall, his large body pressing against hers. "What are you doing?! Get off!" Her breath was coming in short pants, her heart pounding in her ears, beating hard against her chest.  
His forearm came to rest roughly against her throat, making her claw against his wrist as his other hand went to the button of her jeans. "You should've taken the warning, baby." She knew that voice. Where did she know that voice from? His fingers brushed against the top of her underwear, making her aware of the fact that he had taken the zipper down, when a sound from the other side of the hallway made his turn his head. Annabelle took the chance and slammed the bottom of her palm into his nose, seeing blood a few moments later. Her relief was short lived when his eyes landed on her again, blazing. He slapped her hard, causing her head to turn to the side from the force and a whimper to escape her throat without her permission. As his hands gripped her shoulders again, she jammed a knee into his groin, causing him to stagger and fall backwards with a groan. She took advantage of the situation and took off through the bar, by passing Zach and Eric, who were still on the dance floor, lost in each other, grabbing her jacket and zipping her jeans as she rushed through the glass door. Out in the open, away from the people, she finally allowed herself to catch her breath, but refusing to break down even though her hand throbbed in pain. She had time for that later.  
Rafael's black range rover pulled up a few minutes later, and she jumped after wiping the sweat from her face. "Thanks," she whispered as she tossed the pink jacket into the backseat, relishing in the warmth of the car. He didn't respond as he took in her state, which made her look down at her still unbuttoned jeans, which in turn caused her to close her eyes out of embarrassment. He was out of the car a second later, as she scrambled out after him. "Don't, Rafael, stop." She grabbed his uncovered arm and he turned towards her.  
"Who did it?" He looked at the hand she had against her chest and shook his head, "Tell me, Annabelle." Her eyes involuntarily went to the door, knowing that he couldn't tell her boyfriend. "Get in the car."  
"I stopped him, just please stop."  
His voice was quiet but held an unreleased fury, "get in the car. Lock the doors."  
"Raf," she begged, "Please, I just want to get out of here. I already knocked him on his butt, please."  
His green eyes looked her over again, before they cut towards the door. "Get in the car. Lock the doors." She knew there was no changing his mind, only giving a small nod to acknowledge the order before doing as she was told.  
Once inside the SUV, she grabbed his phone, finding Olivia's name and pressing the button. It rang twice before a confused "Barba," met her ears. She was in panic mode, "Get to Hotmale, Hurry. He's gonna kill him."  
"What's going on? Who is this? How did you get Barba's phone?"  
"Just get here, now! Please." The sound of her tears must have let the lieutenant know that it was serious as she replied that she was on her way and Annabelle was then met with silence. She had been hung up on. Once the tears began, they didn't stop. She couldn't stop them, especially when she knew she should go back into the bar and find her hot headed boyfriend, before he found the person who had made him so furious. She didn't know how long she sat in the car before a knock sounded, making her jump. She unlocked the door when she saw it was just her boyfriend. She looked him over in silence, before determining that he either knew how to hit or the completely normal hand meant that he didn't find Batman. How screwed up was that? Batman. Freaking Batman. "I called Benson."  
"Why?"  
"You're asking me why?!" She was nearing hysterics, "you went in there mad as hell! I told you I handled it and you went in there like you were about to murder someone. She was the only person I knew could get through your stubborn head."  
"Cariño, baby—"  
"Don't call me baby." She lowered her voice, when she noticed the sharpness in her tone, "Please. Just don't call me that."  
"Alright. I'm sorry. Come here." He wrapped his arms around her as she furiously tried to wipe the black make-up that was running down her cheeks due to her tears. "It's okay, cariño. I'm so sorry. I should've been here. I'm sorry." He tensed for a second before pulling away and wiping a stray tear from her face, "Liv's here." She turned to follow his line of sight, to see the brunette standing with whom she assumed to be another detective. "She needs to take your statement. You okay to talk to her outside or do you want her to get in the backseat?" She didn't offer him a reply, instead just opening the passenger side door and slipping out into the cool October night. Rafael came around the front of the car, straightening the bottom of his forest green polo over the top of his jeans. "Liv. Carisi." Annabelle shrunk back when the duo turned to face them, feeling relief when Rafael laced their fingers together. He cocked his head towards his girl slightly, "she needs to make a statement."


	5. Inner Thoughts & a Jury's Verdict

First off, I just wanted to thank everyone for their follows. I hope you continue enjoying the story. This one has a little bit more Barba love in it. I'll try to have another update sometime Friday, but no promises. Let me know what you think? –N

Chapter 5- Inner Thoughts & a Jury's Verdict

Annabelle didn't mean to – okay, she meant to – she was freezing Rafael out. After Halloween, she felt smothered and scared, and so many more emotions that she couldn't even accurately describe. She went her entire life promising her father, promising herself that she would remain a virgin until her wedding night; she was a preacher's daughter after all. Now she had almost lost her virginity in the back of a night club, because she was too drunk to pay attention to her surroundings. Then there is the fact that, for the first time, she had actually been frightened of her boyfriend. She couldn't even allow herself to see him, all thanks to that irrational fear. She had found excuses to avoid him for the past week, and she knew her self-inflicted solitude would be ending soon, as Megan's trial would start in a mere four days, one of which she would have to meet the man who had been texting her daily, all in the name of trial preparations. She didn't want to do prep, or to even leave her studio loft apartment. She felt disgusting.

The student jumped as her phone rang, breaking the silence she had surrounded herself in, an unfamiliar number flashing across the screen. Hesitating briefly, she hovered over the buttons, before choosing the green one and bringing the phone up to her ear, "Hel-," she cleared her throat, "Hello?"

There was a beat of silence before a soft voice came through the speaker, "Annabelle? It's Olivia…Benson."

Her anxiety went away, no longer thinking the worse of strange call, "Oh. Um, hi?"

"How are you?"

The red head rolled her eyes as she heard mutterings over the line, one voice standing out over the other. Of course, he was there. She ignored the question, choosing to pretend it had never been asked, "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to touch base with you. See how you were doing. Are you nervous about Wednesday? Has your prep gone well?"

Annabelle's eyes rolled up towards the ceiling in aggravation, "I'm fine. I don't need any trial prep." Taking a slow drink of her coffee she continued, "I know to be there at 10am. I know to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth…" she trailed off thinking _blah blah blah_ , as she overheard another tense conversation. They really need to get better at secrets if they were going to do this often. Draining the last of her cup, she spoke at the same time Olivia did, "I've got work to do."

"Alright. Call me if you need anything, okay, Annabelle?"

"Sure," she knew almost instantly that the single word sounded fake and completely forced. She heard his voice, clearly, as she hit the end call button. Groaning in frustration, she threw her phone against the wall, before storming up the stairs. Turning the shower on, she roughly yanked the elastic band from her hair, wincing as the tangled strands got caught. Once under the steam, she took a deep breath, the irrational anger leaving her body. Afterwards, while sitting on the bed, towel drying her hair, Annabelle grabbed her bag, digging around until she found the little white cards. Dialing the number, it only took three rings before she could speak, "Hi. Uhm, Olivia Benson gave me your card."

-xXx-

November thirteenth dawned full of thunder and dark clouds, just waiting to burst. Annabelle felt that it was fitting, due to the hurricane that was brewing, mentally. Getting dressed in her favorite long sleeved forest green dress, pairing her small gold cross with the scooped neckline, before pulling the deep red strands into a loose braid, allowing it to lie over her left shoulder. After slipping her brown flats on, she left the house, knowing she had to stop for coffee, and that if she wasn't there early, Rafael may actually strangle her, or chug down an entire bottle of aspirin in order to fight the inevitable migraine.

Upon arriving at the courthouse, she quickly found the direction of his office, knowing it would be better to face him alone, and that they had at least fifteen minutes before he would even begin to make his way to the assigned courtroom. Unable to keep the small smile from her face, she watched as he read over a file on his desk, from the open doorway. She was quiet, "hey."

His head snapped up, surprise flashing in his eyes, followed by anger, although the second emotion went as quickly as it came, before he settled into a neutral facade. "Cariño." He took the offered coffee cup, looking her up and down, "glad to see you were able to make it on time."

He was formal, stiff, and she didn't like it. It wasn't the way he was supposed to be with her; as if she was one of the criminals he prosecuted. "Rafael." Her hand briefly made contact with his darker one, before he crossed his arms against his chest. "Raf…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run."

"Why did you?"

"Honestly?"

She started to continue, until he scoffed, "No, lie to me."

Sapphire eyes narrowed, before she caught herself, and shrugged, "I was scared. Of what happened. Of you. Of –"

"Me?" His left eyebrow was slightly raised, one eye squinted.

Tucking a lose strand behind her ear, she stared at the floor, unwilling to meet his cold eyes again. "You were just so mad. And –"

"And you thought," he stopped at what she exactly thought hit him like a ton of bricks. "Cariño," he moved around the desk to embrace her, although her arms continued to hang limply by her sides, "you never need to be afraid of me. Lo siento, amor." She finally, slowly brought her hands up to embrace his sides, feeling the rich material of his vest. "Te amo. I love you so much, angel."

"I love you, too," her reply was muffled slightly as her face was against his chest. Feeling his lips press against the top of her head, she pulled away, reaching into her large purse to pull a dark bag out, "I need to do my makeup, really quick." He nodded, releasing her from his grip, "I wasn't sure how this conversation would go, so I wanted to wait to do it afterwards." He lightly kissed her lips, giving an understanding nod; he moved to sit back at his desk, while she made herself comfortable at the table on the other side of the room. She was quick to cover her face in a light powder with a coat of mascara, before painting her lips a soft mauve color. Zipping the bag up once again, she stood, leaving it on the table top, along with her purse, "Okay, that is as good as it's gonna get today."

Rafael looked up, "you look beautiful."

She blushed, looking away, "You always say that."

His hands softly held onto her hips, fingertips grazing the top swell of her backside, "That's because you always look stunning to me."

Bringing her lips to his cheek, she left a lingering kiss, "Let's go, guapo."

-xXx-

Annabelle sat on the bench outside of the courtroom, barely able to hear a rumble from inside as the various people spoke, and although it felt like hours, it wasn't too long before a bailiff was holding a door open, calling out her name. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, thanking the man as she walked past, and made her way to the witness stand. After being sworn in, she kept her face straight as she watched her ADA stand from his seat, button his jacket, and make his way towards her. His questions were short and to the point, her answers mirroring his style. When John Buchanan stood up, smarmy smirk on his face, she instantly felt as if she should have manned up and joined her boyfriend for actual prep. She kept her eyes on him, as he made her way towards her position. "Good morning, Annabelle. It is okay with I call you that?"

She nodded her head, "That's fine."

"Annabelle, when did you first meet Miss Woods?"

"She's a student in one of the classes that I am a T.A. in this semester."

"T.A. Teacher's assistant, correct?" With her affirming nod, he continued, "When was the first time, she spoke with you? Have you been friends all semester?"

"No? She introduced herself a couple of months ago."

"And she immediately accused my client of rape, isn't that correct?"

"No. As I said earlier, she spoke to me after a class, and we went to get coffee, where she told me that she was attacked. I went with her to the police station. She never told me a name."

The robust man's eyes lit up after that last sentence, "Can you tell the jury the exact nature of your relationship with Mr. Barba?"

Rafael was quick to stand up, "Objection! Irrelevant."

Buchanan looked at the judge, "it is highly relevant, as it leads to how she came across the knowledge of the identity of Miss Woods's alleged rapist."

The judge looked thoughtful for a few brief moments, before nodding, "I'll allow. To an extent; you may answer the question Miss Stevens." The girl bit the left side of her lip, before giving the confirmation of their relationship.

"And you would do anything for you boyfriend, correct?"

"No. This is a little more serious than me skipping a class or two for us to have a lunch date. I have more respect for him, and more respect for the justice system than to lie on the stand, in order to make a rapist look worse than he already does."

Her reply made him stop for a moment, before his annoying grin was back, "You respect him so much that that you would not lie for him, but you will lie to him?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained. Watch yourself, counselor."

"Annabelle did you or did you not receive messages from an anonymous source that Miss Woods was, in fact, lying about my client and her alleged attack?

"Yes, but-"

"And did you, in fact, hide those messages from Mr. Barba, as a way of preventing any doubt onto this case?"

"What? Of course no—"

"And were you not, in fact, attacked yourself by the same anonymous person who told you that my client as innocent?"

She sat there for a moment, allowing a silence to envelope the courtroom, "Are you actually going to allow me to answer these questions or keep interrupting me every time I try?" She had to stop herself from smirking when a snort was heard from the gallery. When Buchanan didn't say anything, she continued, "First off, yes, I did receive ONE message from a so-called anonymous source. Second off, the instant I realized it could pertain to this case, I took it to the police station, where they kept it as evidence. Not once, did I hide the fact that a message was received, although I did request that the threat against me was kept from the ADA, as I know for a fact that he would have worried about my safety. As for my attack, I don't know who it was, nor does it pertain to this case, at all, as I have not once had any contact with _your_ client, Mr. Buchanan."

The man's eyes narrowed in anger, before he almost spat, "nothing further" and slunk his way back over to his desk. Annabelle glanced at Rafael, whose fist was clenched around the pen he had been taking notes with, before she made her way out of the room once she was dismissed and a short recess was called for lunch, as it was now nearing noon in New York.

Annabelle furiously stalked into an empty conference room, the moment she knew she was clear of the judge and the jury, knowing that Rafael would be right behind her. She sat in one of the first chairs she came across and put her face in her hands. "That could've went better."

"Better? That was a disaster, Annabelle! Why would you hide that from me?" He turned towards the two detectives that had followed him into the room, "Why would the two of you keep this from the evidence?" He waved them off when Olivia started to speak, "I don't even want to hear it right now. Find me something to salvage this case." He turned and walked out of the room without another word.

"You'd think that I would be used to his blow ups by now."

Annabelle just scoffed as she looked at Carisi, "I should've told him from the beginning. He's right. It'll all by my fault if this tanks now. I'm an idiot." Olivia placed her hand on the distraught girl's shoulder, only to have it come off when she stood, "I think I'm gonna just go home." She left the room and was almost out of the courthouse, when she remembered that she left her purse in Rafael's office, so it wouldn't get in her way. Seeing Carmen at her desk, she stopped, "I left my bag in there." The other woman gave her a smile and motioned for her to go ahead towards the barely cracked door. She stopped short when she noticed that the office wasn't actually empty. "Oh."

"What are you doing here?"

Diverting her eyes she walked towards her bag, "Just getting this. I'm going home. Sorry."

As she passed, he caught her hand, linking their fingers together, "Cariño, I'm sorry, it's just –"

"Stressful, I know." Squeezing his hand, she gave him a slight smile, "I understand, and I should've told you. I just didn't want you to worry, and then when Batman happened, I figured Olivia would tell you, so I just left it alone. I was in solitude, and I just didn't want you to think differently, and –"his lips met her tinted ones in an attempt to cut the ramblings off. Quickly going back together each time she tried to speak again.

"Quit talking." She smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck, legs hitting the table when he moved the pair backwards. Her body only stopped momentarily before she was lifted and sat atop the wooden surface, his hands tightening on her hips at different intervals, as her fingers shifted through his gelled hair. The pair continued their actions, until a knock at the door caused him to fly away. Straightening his tie, he spoke, "Come in," the huskiness in his voice causing her to squeeze her thighs together, in hopes of creating some sort of friction, as she saw the door open to reveal Rollins and Carisi. As the trio began talking to each other, Annabelle slid off the table, in order to sit at the desk and check her emails on Rafael's computer, both being ignored and ignoring the conversation around her, only looking up when Rafael touched her arm. "You staying in here, or you coming in for the rest?"

She made a face, "I'll just stay here. I've got to run down to the Apple store, anyway." On his questioning look, she continued, "I kinda maybe broke my phone a couple of days ago." He nodded and kissed her forehead, ignoring the looks the two detectives gave each other. "I'll be here when you get back. Good luck."

Annabelle was playing around on her new iphone, shoes off and lying down on the couch, when the door to Rafael's office opened, she tilted her head back to see the Cuban walk in, his mouth in a tight line. Upon the look she gave him, he shook his head, "Not guilty."

"Oh, honey," she quickly got up, wrapping her arms about his tensed shoulders.

"It was a long shot. No DNA. No actual witnesses. And then –"

"And then my screw up."

"No," his voice was sharp, "nothing was your fault, okay?" She gave him a sad smile and a nod, causing him to kiss her head quickly, before staying in the same position, smelling the scent of her shampoo. "How about we go to an early dinner? Then we can catch a show?"

She gave a slow, teasing kiss to his lips, before pulling away with a smile, "sounds perfect."


	6. The Black Box

Again, thanks for the favourites and follows. I don't know my work schedule for next week, but I'll post chapter seven as soon as possible. Let me know what you think in a review? -N

Chapter 6 – The Black Box

Annabelle dug the house keys out of the pocket of her jeans, as she pulled the rolling suitcase to a stop outside of her red painted door. Breathing a sigh of relief, she plopped down onto her soft couch, glad to be away from planes and away from people. Taking the backwards hat off, she shook her hair out slightly, before slipping the leather jacket off her shoulders and lying back. She had spent the day flying, as she spent her Thanksgiving break at home, in Arkansas with her family. She loved those people dearly, but she could only handle so much of their presence, especially if they started drinking. Southerners go hard, and most of the time, they don't even mean to do so. Her nearly air silent phone rang, breaking the silence that she was finding oddly comfortable. Tugging the flat electronic out of her loose jeans, she answered without looking at the caller id. "What?"

"Just calling to see if you made it back safely?"

A small, content smile graced her lips as she heard the voice, "I literally just got home. I was gonna text you soon."

"I saw your plane photo."

"You don't even have an instagram."

"Carisi does. He follows you." That caused her to raise an eyebrow to herself. "You looked cute."

"You try spending almost six hours on a plane. Man, I love my family, but sometimes I'm more than happy to get away from them and back home."

"So, you don't feel like going to dinner?"

"I didn't say that." Looking at the clock – 5:45- she nodded to herself, after calculating the time it would take for her to get the airport smell off of her body, "Give me an hour to shower and change. Meet you at Forlini's around 7?"

"I'll see you then, cariño." She quickly hung up, before pushing herself up from the almost too comfortable position she was in and made her way up the stairs to her shower, taking her clothes off as she went, before rolling everything together into a ball and tossing it into her hamper. Turning the water on, she clipped her hair up, to keep it from getting wet, knowing that it would take more than a mere hour to dry the now almost waist length tresses. Once deeming herself clean, she wrapped herself in a towel and did a quick coat of her usual makeup – powder, mascara, and lipstick. Tonights would be a lilac color, to match the purple skinny jeans she had decided on. Their style was one of the things that always made her giggle to herself, while Rafael chose almost $2,000 suits for just about every occasion, his style often resulting in his sexuality being questioned; Annabelle would choose to base her outfits on things she liked – most often Disney characters, something she has done since she was a child, although she had never been given the opportunity to visit the happiest place on earth. Tonight, she chose to do a twist on Maleficent, pairing the purple jeans with a long sleeved, round necked shirt, and black wedge heels that laced up on the sides. Her family wasn't well off, when she was growing up, but they weren't exactly poor either. She grew up in the same two story house that her parents lived in now, with her four siblings – all of which grew up to do great things. Married by 30, 2.5 children, and a white picket fence storybook life – the whole shebang. That wasn't anything we really ever wanted in life, she wanted happiness in her career, which is why she chose English as compared to the three doctors and one lawyer that consisted of her siblings' jobs. She wanted happiness in love, not rushing into marriage or hinting at the fact she wanted children, something she still wasn't sure of herself. Heck, she was pretty sure if Rafael ever did propose, she'd just ask to go down to city hall. She didn't need the $500,000 wedding that her oldest sister wanted and demanded a couple of years ago, especially since Annabelle was forced into a hideous tiger orange colored dress, that clashed massively with her hair, as one of the bridesmaids.

Annabelle walked down the street, tapping away on her phone, as a few friends and family members had commented on the photo she had posted to instagram, before her flight had taken off, making a mental note to edit and add the photos she had taken with her nieces and nephews to her facebook page, once she got home. Looking up, she locked the phone before opening the door to Forlini's, seeing Rafael before she even got fully into the door. The fact that he was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and polo, make her smile, as it was something she rarely saw him dressed in. He stood up, placing a light kiss on her lips, gripping her in a hug, while she wrapped her arms around him, not wanting to let go as she breathed in the expensive cologne he often wore. "I missed you," her words were muffled as she spoke against his shoulder, before she finally pulled away to give him another kiss and sitting down in the booth across from the Cuban.

"I missed you, too, cariño." He squeezed her hand, on top of the table, before ordering another scotch from the waiter when he stopped at their table, Annabelle ordering a glass of water. "How was your trip?"

Annabelle's nose wrinkled as she thought of the week she spent at home, "It was normal. Sisters asking about when I'm getting married, telling me I'm getting old; brothers telling me I'm too young to be settling down; parents worried about if I'm living in sin." He opened his mouth, before she continued, looking up from the menu she had been studying, "and you wondered why I've never taken you with me." The both folded the menus up, as Chad, the waiter returned with their drinks, and pulling his notepad out to take their dinner orders. Rafael ordered his usual Invollini di gamberi, which Annabelle knew without looking was shrimp stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, and mushrooms, before being sautéed in a white wine sauce; giving her a confused look when she ordered a mere chef's salad with grilled chicken. Already knowing the question in his mind, she explained, "All we ate all week was fried and completely unhealthy foods. I needed something semi-healthy. I'm getting fat."

"You are not."

"Apparently I've gained weight since my mother last saw me," she rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her water, refusing to admit out loud how the comments from her family actually made her feel.

"It's probably a good thing I've never went with you. I wouldn't be able to hold my tongue if they said those things in front of me."

"Are you ever able to hold your tongue?"

He sent her a playful glare, "besides the useless crap they spewed, anything else happen while you were there? Break any laws? Get arrested?"

"Who do you think I am? Belle Starr? Although I did go four wheeling with Jake. I have pictures, after we got back, thanks to Louise, who decided us being covered in mud was the greatest thing she had ever seen in her life."

"Jake's the oldest, right?"

She nodded, pulling her phone loose from the pocket, "Yeah, he's 37." Opening her phone up, she pulled the massive amount of photos up from the week, and handing the phone over, knowing he'd ask if he wanted the story behind any of them. She thought about her family, when she saw the group photo of all the children reflected in the glass of scotch. Jake was 37, the first doctor in the family. Jessica, or Jessie as she preferred, was 35, another doctor. Austin was 33, the one and only lawyer to develop from the group. Natalie and Nichole were both 31and both doctors, although Natalie chose dentistry and Nichole chose optometry. Then there was Annabelle, as her birthday was coming up, the only child with a five year age gap. She was the accident, which most of her family liked to remind her of everything she visited, except for Jake and her dad. Seeing the photo of the two girls with the puppy filter was snapchat, she grinned, "That's Louise. She just turned five yesterday. That was at her party." As he finished scrolling through the pictures, pausing at a couple that featured just her; she took the opportunity to study him. He had a bit of a 5 o-clock shadow going out, which she loved, as the little hints of stubble made him look just a bit sexier than usual. Biting her lip, she allowed her mind to wonder into whatever fantasy it could dream up, while looking at the man she had come to love during their 10 month relationship. She had gotten so deeply engrossed in her thoughts that she actually jumped when Chad placed their plates in front of them, causing Rafael to put the phone into the woman's gold painted nails.

The couple ate in relative silence, allowing the comfortable sounds from the restaurant to play as background noise, welcoming them into a bubble of normalcy that they had become accustom to throughout their relationship. Once finished, Rafael paid their bill, and offered his elbow as the duo walked down the street, towards central park. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she smiled softly to herself, all other emotions that were created at home being completely replaced with pure love and contentment with her life.

-xXx-

Weeks have passed and Annabelle was close to finishing the fall semester of her junior year, only to find out good news during a meeting with her advisor earlier that day, news so good that instead of going to the library, as she had planned on doing all day, she took a detour to get lunch and decided to surprise Rafael. Seeing Carmen not at her desk, she bypassed it without slowing down and shook her head in pity when she noticed the ADA popping a couple aspirin into his mouth. "You know, you're supposed to eat with those." She couldn't help the smirk that popped onto her clear gloss colored lips when he looked up sharply in surprise. "Howdy," she raised the bags up slightly, "I got you a steak and mushroom hero."

"You stopped at Tony Dragon's?" She nodded, as if she would dare stop anywhere else when she could get something from her favorite food truck in the area. He walked over to the mini fridge that he kept his coffee pot sat atop, grabbing two bottles of waters. "What did you get?" He watched as the baseball cap beauty pulled out the two containers, "Your usual?" She nodded, making him grin when the chicken and mushroom sandwich came into view, at her predictability. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?" He took the red and white paper from his sandwich, as she did the same, "I thought you were going to the library to work on a final?"

She took a bite and chewed before answering, giving a slight moan of delight, "I had good news, and I couldn't wait to tell you." She took a drink of her water, allowing him to finish chewing, "I was talking to my advisor today to decide on my schedule for next semester, and she was looking at my stuff. Turns out…I'm eligible to graduate at the end of May, instead of graduating next December."

Her grin grew as his lips turned up into a smile, a squeak of surprise came from her mouth when he quickly stood up and pulled her into his arms, giving her a sound kiss. "I am so proud of you, cariño." They kissed for a few more minutes, before they reluctantly pulled away and began eating once more. "What classes are you taking?"

"I have Capstone, which is basically nothing but working on a twenty page paper, American Literature, and then I'm doing a double internship with Roberts, again. It'll give me twelve hours total." He nodded along as she spoke, showing that he was paying attention to the conversation, before they ate a few more bites in silence. "How has your day been?"

His eyes seem to roll automatically, "I'm just glad I can go home in a couple of hours. It's just some people…" he trailed off, opting to take another bite of his sandwich instead.

Annabelle chose to not question it anymore, remembering the aspirin he had been taking when she had first walked in, almost forty-five minutes ago. Once they finished their lunches, they relocated to the couch, where she played on her phone, answering emails and catching up on the social media profiles she followed, curled up against his side, while he rested a legal pad against the knee crossed upon his other leg, arm around her shoulders. They stayed in the same positions, until a knock interrupted them, almost two hours later, before the door opened, announcing the presence of the two detectives. Annabelle stuffed her phone into the pocket of her stone washed blue jeans, before kissing Rafael's cheek and standing up, "Guess that's my cue. See you later." She smiled at both Olivia and Rollins, once she shouldered her bag and made her way past the two women, briefly brushing her hand against her boyfriends.

-xXx-

December 15th flashed when she lit up the screen to her phone, searching for the time and whether or not it was even close to her scheduled alarm clock. 5:43am – she had almost 45 minutes before she was supposed to get up, but knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, she pulled her phone from the charger and checked the games and social media accounts for updates, in order to kill time until she could force herself to get out of the bed. Typing out a quick tweet to her small list of 200 followers, simply reading "26" she relocked the phone after canceling the alarm and tossed the blankets off of her legs, making her way to the shower.

Annabelle slipped on an off the shoulder, knee length grey dress, pairing it with an oversized green cardigan and high heeled shoes in the same color. Leaving her hair curly, she added emerald eye shadow to her usual makeup routine, before putting on a coat of burgundy lipstick, matte –as always. Grabbing her black messenger bag, she walked out of the door, her breakfast destination in mind. Twenty minutes later, she was walking into Rustic Table, earlier than Rafael for once, and getting set up at a table for two. Making the most of the time alone, she began replying to the numerous birthday texts and messages from her family. Fifteen minutes later, Rafael rushed into the vintage inspired diner, only he wasn't alone. Mouthing a quick "sorry" as he was walking up, he kissed a pale cheek, producing a purple tulip. "Forever love." She smiled at the meaning behind the flower, loving how whenever he gave her a flower, he would tell her the secret meaning behind their existence. "I brought a guest." The look that occupied the statement made it obvious that he had no choice but to bring said guest, but none the less, Annabelle gave a friendly smile towards Olivia Benson.

"Happy birthday," the greeting was warm and a small bag was in her left hand, which after releasing Annabelle from a hug, she gave it to the red head. "It's not much, but I wanted to give you something."

"Thank you." She was stopped from opening the parcel, as the waitress came up to take their food and drink orders. Once the trio was alone, she opened the bag and removed the matching pink paper to reveal a circular necklace that said "Scripturient: (adj.) having a consuming passion to write," as well as two candles, one entitled "writer's block" and the other entitled "old books." Smiling, she looked back up at the detective, "these are great. Thank you, so much." The group made small talk, while they waited for the food to arrive, nothing too serious – something which Annabelle as grateful for, although she did occasionally catch Olivia looking at her or Rafael with a knowing look, which after the first couple of times brought confusion to the forefront of her mind.

After breakfast, the trio split up, Olivia standing away from the couple as they said their goodbyes. "The squad wants to have a party for you." The face she made in response, caused him to give her a small, almost unnoticeable, smile, "I know. I told them you were cooking dinner for the two of us, but –"

"No, it's okay. I was just planning either Sheppard's Pie or tacos. Tell them to be there about 7. You, on the other hand, can come over whenever you want."

Rafael's eyes lightened up, before he gave her a deep kiss, something that momentarily shocked her, as neither one of the two were ever really happy with expressions of PDA, unless the PDA consisted of simple touches or light kisses. "You're perfect. I'll bring dessert." She nodded in response. "Have a good day in class." Returning the hug she gave him, he murmured in her ear, "You look beautiful, cariño."

Giving him a short kiss, "Gracias, Raf. I'll see you tonight." Leaning around him, she spoke to Olivia, "Is there anything Noah isn't able to eat, taco wise?" Getting a negative response, she bid them both goodbye before turning to make her way towards the subway station, in order to attend Dr. Roberts class – the only thing she had to do today.

Once she arrived home at the end of the day, she slipped her shoes off at the door before tossing her cardigan onto the back of the couch, before pulling her hair up to begin cooking for the now party of seven. Around 5:30, knocks sounded at the door, making her shut the music off from her iphone dock and do a couple short jogs to the door, opening it to reveal the tie loosened man, holding a box, which she assumed contained the dessert for the evening, "I'm just going to take a quick shower, alright?"

Annabelle nodded, "your jeans and shirts are in the closet." As he passed by her again, once he gently put the white box on to the counter top, she grabbed his wrist, "It's my birthday," he gave an amused look when her grin became apparent as she moved closer, to grab the lapels of his jacket, "That means…I can kiss you all I want." Less than a second later his lips were latched onto hers as if he was drinking water for the first time, his hands clutching at her hips. They continued, him pressing her against the counter, until the oven's timer went off, forcing them to separate and to go their different ways. "Stay with me tonight." At her words, he froze in his steps, half way across the living room, before looking back, only to be met with a shy yet enthusiastic smile. Giving her another smile, he nodded his head before heading towards the bedroom once more. Once free from his tantalizing gaze, she leaned against the counter to catch her breath, before remembering that she needed to check the food. After making sure nothing was burning, she walked up the stairs, picking up the pieces to the suit, knowing that she'd drop them off at the dry cleaners first thing Monday morning. Feeling a lump in one of the pockets, she pulled it out, discovering a small black box. Heart rate quickening, she debated on whether or not to peek inside. Just as she started to open it, a loud knocking sounded from downstairs, causing her to fumble as she tried not to drop it, at risk of him knowing what she had found. Roughly shoving it back to where she found it, she dropped the clothing back onto floor, near the door and rushed down the stairs in order to welcome the detectives, all along thinking about the mysterious black box.


	7. Jewelry & Babies

Chapter 7 – Jewelry & Babies

Annabelle raised an eyebrow at taco Carisi had concocted, the height alone made her question whether or not he'd be able to fit it inside his mouth. When she realized that it wouldn't just be her and Rafael, earlier that day, she stopped at the store to get the ingredients to make not only the regular tacos, but also fish, chicken, and Portobello mushroom tacos. She had unintentionally made enough for twenty people, instead of the eight that were scheduled to be there; it turned out to be a good thing as Carisi had created a taco with a mixture of each meat, along with all the vegetables. Looking away with a disbelieving grin, as the taco was forced into his mouth, the insides threatening to squeeze out as the pressure was applied by his teeth; she picked up a spoonful of refried beans and brought it to Noah's mouth. The little boy had instantly attached himself to her hip when Olivia arrived, much to Annabelle's enjoyment, even going as far as to refuse to eat anything his adoptive mother tried to feed him, until Annabelle took over the feeding duties of the toddler, giving him tiny bites of chicken and beans in between sips of apple juice, easily able to juggle her own meal.

Giving a smile of gratitude to her boyfriend as he rejoined the table, placing a refilled glass of tea next to the plate, where her two tacos sat, one half eaten, she gave a discreet look towards his jean pockets, wondering if he still had the box on his body. An engagement ring had to be inside, what else would fit in that size of a box? She was growing nervous, as she waited to see when he would do it, if he would do it tonight, or wait until they were alone? She jumped when his hand gently squeezed her bare knee, as she finished the last bite of her chicken and rice taco. Rafael began clearing the table off, with Olivia's help, as the group finished their food and started the small talk up again, allowing Annabelle to convince Noah to eat the last four bites of his cooled off dinner, making a funny face at the boy when she received a grin full of mostly chewed chicken. Accepting the damp cloth was Rollins, she cleaned Noah's hands and face off quickly, turning in surprise when the flickering of flames came into her peripheral vision. A two layer cake covered in a mint green ombre butter cream frosting, the darkest color at the bottom, the top of the circular cake held fondant flowers and two candles, reading off Annabelle's age. As the group sang the birthday song, Noah babbling at his own rhythm, she raised her eyes to lock onto Rafael's as she made a wish and blew out the candles, as the tell-tale click of a photo being snapped was barely audible to the woman's ears.

It was after nine by the time everyone had left and almost eleven once Annabelle finished cleaning up the kitchen, with Rafael's help. The leftovers were stashed in plastic containers in her fridge, and the dishes were drying in the dishwasher. Currently, the couple was on the couch, Annabelle on her back, Rafael hovering over her body, his hand ghosting up her thigh, as they kissed. She took a gasping breath when their lips came apart and his latched onto her neck, causing her to squirm, in hopes of creating the friction that she was in dire need of, pressing her hips upwards and against his jean covered erection. They continued the same way for a few more minutes, before he pushed himself away with a regretful groan, "Okay, we need to stop." At the look on her face, he kissed the inside of her wrist, "You're gonna be the death of me, cariño." Her giggle was musical, as he led her towards the bedroom, "Let's get you some sleep."

She pouted, upon realizing that her fun was over and that they were in fact heading to sleep, something she had decided that she didn't want to do. She wanted him, terribly; but he seemed to be content with keeping her virtue intact. She didn't argue, knowing that they did have to get up early tomorrow morning, as she was joining Rafael and Lucia for their traditional Saturday breakfast, and that thought alone scaring the sexual need out of her body. Meeting the parents for the first time was scary enough, without adding the fact that there was a ten year age gap between the couple. Annabelle changed into a pair or short green and purple shorts and a white tank top stating 'I'm really a mermaid', a gift from her niece and nephew, while inside the bathroom, before taking her daily makeup off and brushing her teeth. Taking a deep breath, she flipped the light off to join the Cuban, who had slipped into a pair of sweatpants and an obviously worn Harvard t-shirt, inside her large bed. "I forgot to give you this earlier."

She opened her eyes, seeing a large bag sitting on top of the ADA's lap, before propping up, her back against the cool wood of headboard, "You didn't have to get me anything." Her statement was answered with a mere shrug of the shoulders and a small smile.

She pulled a pair of skinny jeans out of the bag, followed by a hunter green long sleeved top, a red plaid scarf falling out of the folded top. Finally a pair of knee high, red tinted leather boots were revealed, along with a brown leather satchel, both of which caused her to look at the older man with eyes widened in surprise. "Liv helped a bit." After allowing her to look at the gifts a bit more, he took the package back once she had refolded everything, "I wanted to give you something new to wear tomorrow, so you wouldn't be worrying about trying to impress mami." Pulling him into a kiss, she mumbled that he was perfect, against those shapely lips, attempting to show her gratitude for the thoughtful outfit, only to freeze momentarily when her eyes caught sight of the black box as she pulled away. "Now, this…this I did on my own." She bit her lip in hopes of containing her excitement, feeling the anticipation of seeing the ring lifting her up higher than she thought was possible, only to deflate instantly when the insides were revealed, to show a set of dangling teardrop shaped diamond earrings. "What do you think?"

Annabelle did a good job of hiding the inner disappointment she felt, "They're beautiful, Raf." They truly were, and she felt extremely special to be given them, while she was disappointed in what they were not, she was beyond impressed at his ability to pick a pair of earrings that she would never want to take off. "Thank you so much." She looked at them a bit longer, before gently closing the top back down and kissing him, starting another rather heated make out session between the two.

-xXx-

At 8:30 the next morning, Annabelle was taming her usually too curly hair into soft, large curls that she paired with a coat of mascara and a light brown lipstick named Nude Coffee, standing in a Mulan styled short, silk robe, as Rafael walked into the brightly lit room, lightly scratching his stomach. Throwing him a bright smile, she flipped the water on to the shower as she bypassed him, gaining a kiss to the cheek in appreciation. Taking her time, she dressed in the outfit Rafael had surprised her with the night before, pairing it with a large gold watch just as the door reopened, allowing steam to billow out, and highlighting the fact that he was wearing only a pair of light wash jeans. Watching him from the corner of her eye, she pretended to be completely focused on attaching the watch to her wrist as she spoke, "Ya know, we could call your mom and tell her we can't come." Knowing he was about to question her random statement, she turned around to give him her full focus, "and I could ravish you all morning, instead."

He coughed back a surprised chuckle at her bluntness, before running the previously discarded towel over the short strands of his hair, "How about we got to brunch, and then I'll ravish you when we have to the time for me to keep you in the bed for hours, deal?" Her mouth fell open in shock at his words, allowing him the opportunity to walk out of the room, smirk firmly planted on his face as he made his way down the stairs to get them both a cup of coffee, buttoning his shirt as he went on his merry way.

"Damn," shuddering at the mental image he conjured in her brain, she slipped the posts of the new earrings into her ears, halfway wondering they would be too much, especially for meeting his mother for the first time; after all the woman raised him and she was pretty sure that Lucia was still the most important woman in his life, or at least on the same level of importance and influence as his abuelita.

-xXx-

"Oh no."

The sentence was said so quietly that she almost missed it; quickly turning her head in the direction Rafael was looking, only to see two women instead of one. "Is that—"

"Yes. She brought abuelita."

Feeling he was about to apologize, she brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth, before rubbing the small colored mark that her lipstick left, "It's fine. I want to meet the women in your life." Grasping his hand, tightly, she allowed him to lead her into the restaurant known as The Garden, the place where the Barba family had their breakfast dates on a weekly basis. Once at the table, they both slipped their coats off, neither catching the raised eyebrow Lucia threw the man when the light reflected from Annabelle turning her head. Afterwards, Rafael stepped away from their chairs in order to kiss both of the older women on the cheeks in greeting.

Catching Rafael telling his abuelita that he was still not a judge brought a fond smile to Annabelle's lips, knowing with just that one sentence that she was extremely proud of her grandson. Although she was given a warm reception from the eldest woman, instantly being told to call her 'abuelita' as well, the introduction accompanying Lucia was a bit frostier than she expected, causing the nerves she had gotten rid of earlier to come running back full force. Ordering a strawberry-banana smoothie and nutella stuffed French toast, she bit her lip to stop the smile from forming as Rafael ordered a frittata, knowing that even though he was ordering light due to the fattening dinner from the night before, he would still eat part of her meal. The other two guests completed their orders before silence enveloped the white table once more, only to be broken by abuelita questioning what Annabelle did for a living, although by the look on Lucia's face at the question, the youngest woman could infer that they both already knew, but answered the question anyway.

"And just how did an _English_ major manage to get in contact with an ADA?" The accusatory tone made Annabelle's eyes widen for less than a second before she schooled her features, while Rafael sent a chastised 'mami' across the table, earning an innocent look in return.

"Starbucks. He was on campus for a case, and we ran into each other. Literally." Smiling as his hand softly squeezed hers, she continued, "Somehow I ended up the only one covered in coffee."

"Cute," silence came back once more before Lucia asked the question that caused both Rafael and Annabelle to choke slightly on their drinks, "My hijo worked a case where a woman made adult videos to pay for school. How do you pay for it, again?"

"Definitely not like that," giving herself a moment to wrap her mind about what was just said, she continued, "I have scholarships and I took a couple of years off to work and to save money. My parents taught me the value of a dollar." The simple hmm was the only reply given, before Lucia excused herself to go into the restroom; abuelita followed less than ten seconds later.

"Cariño. I don't know what's gotten into her. Lo siento."

Giving a small, sad smile she silently offered him a drink of the smoothie, which he took, giving her the chance to decide how to reply best, after all she knew that the hostility wasn't simply established from dislike of her character. "She's just being protective. She loves you."

"And I love you. I will not allow her to imply that –"

"What? Imply that I'm a hoe?" At the look she received, her comical expression was instantly replaced by a more serious one, "Babe, you know that isn't true and I know that it isn't true. She's just trying to figure out if I'm good enough for her only son, or not." Turning away as her phone chirped with a text message, she slipped it from the small pocket on the front of her bag, "I know I'm not good enough for you. She doesn't have to tell me that."

Drawing her towards him with a finger to her chin, he placed a light kiss to the fading color on her lips, "You are good enough." Any reply she would have given was halted as the waitress returned carrying four plates, "Your brother sent a picture of Louise eating the pancakes she made herself."

Quickly saving the photo to her camera roll, she took a quick snap of her breakfast before sending it away to Arkansas, slipping the phone back where it belonged, just as they were rejoined. "You're one of those food bloggers, aren't you?"

Slipping the bag back onto the back of her chair, Annabelle shook her head, "My five year old niece made pancakes this morning. I was just sending her a picture of what I'm eating."

"You have a niece?"

Thankful for the welcoming subject, she picked up her fork as the table began their meals, "Actually, I have three nieces, four nephews, and one on the way. My brother may actually have a stroke if they have a third girl though." Allowing herself a moment to chew the small piece she had put in her mouth, she brought up Louise once more, "he already says that Louise will have him in a nursing home before he even hits forty."

-xXx-

It wasn't until they had separated for the night that Rafael brought up the changing attitudes of his mother, through text messages.

Raf: She liked you.

Annabelle: Yeah, she liked me just as much as I like having to visit the dentist.

That reply warranted an actual phone call, in which he began speaking before she even said her hellos, "Seriously, cariño. She told me to keep you around." He paused, as if debating on including the next sentence or not, "She also said with that many ninos around, you'll give me lots of babies."


	8. Jingle Bell Rock

Alrighty boys and girls, here is the next installment. Let me know what you think? – N

Chapter 8 – Jingle Bell Rock

Annabelle turned her head, making the long braid swing off her shoulder, when a chuckle sounded from behind her, to see Rafael leaning against the door frame in jeans and polo, his tan over coat most likely hung up at the door. "I thought you were kidding about a Disney tree."

After securing the Tinkerbelle star to the very top of the tree, she hopped down from the ladder with a teasing smile, "You should know by now, that I never joke about Disney." Planting a silent kiss on his lips, she gave a small giggle, "Hi."

Replying with a grin that she had come to know was only given to her, he copied her actions before staring at the decorations surrounding the apartment, and "Maybe I should've had to decorate my place." Annabelle had been working all morning and it showed, as it appeared that every inch of her apartment had been transformed into some type of Disney inspired winter wonderland. She had lights draped around the walls, tinsel hanging throughout the rooms, mistletoe above every doorway, and tons of figurines just sitting around in places that she had deemed perfect. "You do realize that Christmas is in seven days, right?"

She narrowed her eyes at his face, although she couldn't keep the smile from flickering across her unpainted lips, "I know," turning away to adjust where an ornament was hanging she continued, "I usually have everything up on the first, but I've been a little busy. And besides," she pointed a finger at him in accusation, "You don't even have a tree at your place."

He shrugged, popping a piece of a chocolate chip cookie into his mouth, "I've never decorated."

"Of course not," she leaned across him, her breasts slightly grazing his arm, "Because you don't know how to have fun," before taking a big bite of her freshly baked cookie to punctuate the sentence.

"Really? Then, I guess you don't want to go out tonight." He pulled two thin strips of paper from his pocket, allowing her to see that they were tickets to something, but not be able to get a close enough look to see what they were for. Knowing her interest was peaked, he turned away to get himself something to drink.

He made it just a few steps before the weight was applied to his arm, as she tried to grab the tickets. Laughing at her struggle, he easily kept them out of reach, "Okay, okay. You're fun. You're fun." With his special grin, he lowered his arm where she was quick to grasp the papers in case he decided to change his mind. "The Nutcracker? We're going to see the Nutcracker?" She squealed, throwing her around about his neck, planting a deep kiss to his lips, tasting the chocolate still lingering on his tongue.

Hours later the couple was awaiting a taxi, Annabelle's eyes completely lighting up as she spoke rapidly about the show they had just come from. The woman wore a maroon chiffon skirt with a sparkly gold, long sleeved top tucked in, pairing the two pieces with gold sparkly heels and a matte lipstick in the same shape as her skirt. Keeping her hair in a simple half up do, with the rest of the strands falling in their natural curls; she fit the part as she stood next to Rafael in his sleek black suit and deep maroon shirt. He had forgone the tie tonight, choosing to leave the top couple of buttons undone, allowing her to get a slight glimpse of his bare chest. The lawyer watched her with a fondness in his eyes as she gushed over the magic of the night and how happy she was that she was able to experience it. "I'm glad you liked it, cariño." She opened her mouth to thank him once again, before waiting as he kept speaking, "Want are you plans for the rest of the week? I have a few other nights planned for us. I just want to make sure they won't interfere with anything you have set up."

"I have a meeting with Dr. Roberts on Wednesday afternoon, but otherwise I'm completely free," she leaned in closer, bringing her lips to his before softly stating, "Besides, I'd cancel everything for you."

He didn't say anything for a few moments, only speaking as he held the door open for his significant other once they were finally able to get to an open, "As would I, cariño. As would I." Annabelle's heart swelled as she tried to fight the emotions bubbling up from that small declaration, finally allowing the sadness she felt from not receiving an engagement ring days prior, to be released.

Wednesday found her the couple sharing a small lunch at the little restaurant across the street from the courthouse, joined by the four detectives due to the fact that Rafael was not alone when she issued the invitation and she felt that they should be included, as well, although she didn't actually think they would take her up on said offer, as they group waited for the jury to come back in and deliver their chosen verdict. "Barba said you had a meeting with your professor after this?"

Annabelle nodded, and started to reply before being cut off by Carisi's comment, "A meeting when you're done for the semester? That's not good."

Giving an almost unnoticeable shake of her head when Rafael's eyes narrowed at the Staten Island native, stopping the Cuban from making one of his usual scathing remarks, "Actually, I'm going in to discuss a possible internship that may turn into a job offer once I graduate."

"That sounds like a good thing," she nodded at Benson, refusing to admit that she was secretly hoping that it wasn't all a hoax and that it would help her in her career. She missed the last of the lieutenant's statement as she began to get lost in her own thoughts, only coming back to their world when chairs started moving away from the table.

Annabelle wore blue skinny jeans with a Superman tee that she had tied in the front to make it fit her form better, as well as pairing it with a yellow jacket, blue converse, and a blue knit cap, making her instantly feel self conscious in her outfit choice when she walked into Dr. Roberts' office to see that the two women were, in fact, not alone. The well dressed man, sitting in her usual chair, was quickly introduced as David Willard, the man offering her an unpaid internship at his startup company, Attention Inc. The trio sat in talked for nearly an hour about the company, the people involved, Annabelle's work with Dr. Roberts, and a little about their personal histories, before realizing that Mr. Willard, or David as he insisted being called, had a lot in common with Annabelle and that they both felt that they would work well together at the company. By the end of the meeting, an official start to work date had been set for about a week after the New Year, and she was itching to tell Rafael the good news.

-xXx-

Annabelle let her eyes roam the precinct as people bypassed the couple, giving small welcomes or short nods, during the annual Christmas party on Friday night. Cheery music played while the duo mingled with people she had yet to even be introduced to, resulting in her giving them nicknames based on how they acted or what they looked like, purely for her own entertainment. "Wanna get out of here?" His lips brushed against her ear as she spoke, sending delicious chills through her body, as she gave an affirmative nod. "I'll go get our coats."

Blue eyes looked out the window in confusion, before swinging to meet the sparkling hazel ones of the driver. "Why are we doing to Brooklyn?" Rafael chose not to respond, giving her only a secretive smile. Letting her suspicion go, she leaned forward to turn the volume up slightly as Christmas music played from the station it was set on before they had exited the vehicle earlier in the night.

They rode in silence, except for Annabelle's quite singing along to the radio, until they reached a part of road that he automatically slowed down for, as people crossed at random intervals. "Last month, you said that you had never done any of the stereotypical Christmas attractions." Flipping the blinker on, he turned left onto a brightly lit road, "Annabelle Stevens, I give you Dyker Heights lights." She gasped in surprise as all of the decorations came into her view. Each house was decorated so well that it put the houses she used to visit in Arkansas, as a child, to shame. Eyes wide, she turned her entire body to look at each house in awe, as the couple made their way through the slow precession of cars, much to Rafael's entertainment. It was at that moment that he realized just how much he wanted to marry her one day, even through the negative emotions and issues that he had been dealing with his entire life thanks to his father's treatment of both him and his mother. He knew, as she rolled the window down in order to get a better view of the brightly colored landscapes that no one would ever make him feel the way he felt about Annabelle. She was the one.

-xXx-

Annabelle rolled her eyes as her mother lectured her about changing degree plans, because she needed to make something of herself –like her siblings, as she walked around her bedroom getting dressed in her dark maroon skinny jeans, tucking the bottoms into her black ankle boots before grabbing her puffy white vest to slip over her long sleeved black shirt. Putting her hair into a loose braid she slipped a thick beanie over the top of it, before making an excuse to hang up the phone and doing so while her mother was still trying to berate her life choices, which were not limited to her education, but have now began to include the fact that she was dating a man eleven years her senior. It's wrong and immoral of her dating with such an age gap, but let's ignore the fact her grandparents had an age gap of seventeen years and they were still happily together. The hypocritical and judgment tone had been getting progressively worse since she had visited her home state in November, especially when they realized she not only had no ring on her finger, but she also did not bring the man that she claimed to love to meet her family.

Locking her phone to ignore the new text message from her mother, most likely telling her off for hanging up while she was still speaking, she made her way to the front of her apartment building, where she ran into Rafael, who was dressed in the jeans that fit him just the way that made her heart thump wildly in her chest. "I was just coming up."

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him into a passionate but short kiss. "I needed out of there. She's not even in the same time zone and my mother is still able to suffocate me with her issues."

"Want to talk about it?" She shook her head no, before allowing him to lead her by the hand to the car. "Okay. How about I make you forget all about it?"

Putting her seatbelt on, she grinned, "That sounds perfect." They drove a few miles, before he parked the car at their destination before jumping out to open the door for her to exit, gaining a smile for his chivalrous behavior. They walked arm in arm through the pathways, until they reached the center of central park. "It's," she paused as she tried to think of the correct word to use to describe what she was seeing, "It's like a winter wonderland." The now senior undergraduate watched with a smile as teenagers, children, and adults all had fun on their various ice skating talents.

"It was somewhere you had to go."

"It's beautiful."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind, giving her waist a squeeze, "Not nearly as beautiful as you." He skillfully slipped his hand into her vest pocket, easily bringing the iphone out and opening the camera feature, knowing she wanted a photograph of not only the rink but of the pair of them, even if she wouldn't ask him to take yet another photo with him, due to her knowledge of him disliking selfies. Leaning her head back, she smiled as he snapped a couple of photos of them, one in which she kissed his cheek, eyes closed. That one, he took for himself. "Do you wanna skate?"

She giggled, "Do you even know how?"

He shrugged, "It can't be that difficult."

She knew he wouldn't admit that he couldn't skate, so she had no problem admitting it for the both of them. "I can't skate."

His soft chuckle met her ears, before he pulled away, taking her hand instead and leading her closer to the building at the edge of the rink. Stepping up to the open window he finally spoke, "two hot chocolates, please." Once they received the steaming cups, they found their way to the benches that lined one side, sitting down to simply people watch. Speaking softly to each other, they created little stories to amuse themselves as they watched teenagers appear as if they were on their first dates, as they watched children slip and slide as they learned to skate, and after draining their cups they ordered two more before continuing their conversation, until the second cups were emptied. "Alright, we've got one more stop to make." Tossing the cups in the trash, the couple got back in the car before Rafael started yet another secret journey to the tune of the latest Christmas carols. This time, the trip didn't take nearly as long, before the couple was staring up at the Rockefeller Christmas tree. His next words made her freeze. "Move in with me."


	9. Football & Prostitution

Hey, guys! Here is the next chapter. Thank you so much for the follows/favourites, and for the reviews I received. Ya'll rock. This chapter includes my version of "Undercover Mother", so let me know what you think? – N

Chapter 9 – Football & Prostitution

Annabelle walked into her small office, black leather jacket slipped from her shoulders and revealing her royal blue, sleeveless dress, which was paired with a pair of black wedge heels. Dropping her bag next to her desk, she lightly fell into her chair and typed her password in, allowing the computer screen to load before pulling up the project she had been working on the day before. "How long til you send that to me?"

The intern jumped, eyes shooting towards the man leaning casually against her open doorway. "Jesus, David," her hand rested against her heart to slow down the furious pounding.

"Sorry." He didn't look very apologetic.

She gave him a smile as he made his way over, hands pressed on the desk as he leaned over her, looking at the screen. "I was just about to send it to you." She brought the new advertisement flyer up to full screen and leaned back slightly to give him a better view, "What do you think?"

He was silent for a moment, and she kept her eyes forward, holding her breath as she waited for an answer. David moved away, giving her shoulders a soft squeeze, "Send it to publishing. Start posting it to social media tonight. I want it everywhere before Sunday." He rubbed the tops of her shoulders, "good work," before leaving the room almost as quickly as he entered.

-xXx-

"Are you sure you don't wanna come? I'll make it worth your while." She zipped her high waisted black skirt and adjusted the black off the shoulder crop top as she stared in the mirror, before wiping the slightly smudged eyeliner underneath her left eye and flipping the light switch off and rejoining Rafael in the bedroom.

"I'm su…re." His eyes filled with lust as quickly as a storm brews, roaming slowly up and down her revealed body, starting at her straightened hair, to her cleavage, to the little slip of skin showing between her top and her skirt, to the legs that were revealed where the flowy short skirt ended mid thigh, before resting at her bare feet. "You really are trying to kill me, aren't you?" Giving him a small smirk, she bent down to grab the pair of chunky high heels in the same shade of blue as the flowers on her skirt. "Who is going to be there again?"

Plopping down next to him on the bed, she shot him a grin, "Tracy said it was just gonna be us girls, but everyone wanted to dress up." Annabelle gave a little shrug, as if to say what could she do. "You can always crash the party," she teased in a sing-song voice.

"You know I don't watch football."

"Do you want me to stay in?" She cleaned her close, unintentionally revealing just enough of her skin to allow him to realize that she wasn't wearing a bra with the tight top, and kissed his neck softly before her lips brushed his earlobe, "we could have our own game." His shoulders tensed and she went for the kill, "I'll even go without panties if you want." His breath hitched before his hands grabbed her so suddenly, pulling her to straddle his body, the slight erection rubbing against her core, before he brought her down for a searing kiss. Breaking away, her voice was hoarse, breathing labored, "Is that a yes, Mr. Barba?"

He groaned as she pressed her body down just slightly, "Go to your party." It sounded as if it pained him to tell her to go, and she was slow to move off of him, halfway hoping he would pull her back to his body to have his wicked way with her. "Te amo, cariño." Standing up to give her a gentle kiss, he reminded her to call him if she needed anything and then walked her to the door, even though all he wanted to do was throw her on the bed and not let her leave for hours.

Walking up to Tracy's front door, Annabelle questioned whether or not her outfit was too much for just hanging out with the girls. She rarely dressed up so much, but she knew if it was the usual group, there would be lots of photos taken and she didn't want to be the one standing around in jeans…like at last year's Superbowl party. She heard the noise, even before she opened the door. Tonight would be great, although it sounded like Tracy had ended up inviting more than just the girls. Once inside her eyes roamed the place before an eyebrow was raised at the tight leather pants and teal leopard shirt at one of the women there, only to have the blue eyes instantly wide in show as the woman turned around, revealing her face. Olivia Benson stared at Annabelle with a look that was between confusion, surprise, and suspicion, before Tracy hustled over to the red head, telling her how hot she looked. When Olivia joined them, Tracy quickly introduced her as Bethany, forcing Annabelle to school her features, assuming that that the woman was undercover for some reason, and that assumption tripled when she noticed Carisi and Fin mingling with the guests.

"What are you doing here?" Olivia's accusation was furiously whispered to the younger woman, "Does Barba know you're here?"

"Uh yeah. Tracy, you know my friend, invited me to a girls night," she made a face when she saw a balding man stick his hand up a brunette's skirt, "Although I'm really thinking I should have declined. What the hell did I walk into, Olivia?"

"A brothel," she sighed, "and now you can't leave or it would be strange, if anyone is watching."

"So what? You want me to pretend to be a hooker? I swear, if anyone touches me, they will pull back nubs."

"Just act normal. If stick around one of us. Carisi is a John." At the look she received, she backtracked, "He's looking for a girl. If you have to, get close to him. Do not leave my sight, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Her answer was quick and as soon as it left her mouth, she felt like a child, as it made her seem like a frightened little girl. She instantly grabbed the nearest beer and downed it, her non alcoholic night quickly turning into something where alcohol would be her only friend.

At one point, Carisi sat down next to her, his hand brushing hers that was lying on the couch, with a girl in tight gold pants rubbing up against him in some sort of lap dance. Although that ended quickly when an Irish man walked in with an angry voice, putting Annabelle's body on an even higher alert, and her to shriek when the guy pistol whipped Carisi, making her wish she had stayed sitting down when the detective fell into her, his hand catching the top of her shirt, ripping it, which in turn caused her to shriek and grab at the material to ensure that her breasts stayed covered as she stared at the angered man in fear while he pointed a gun at Fin. Her relief when the door busted open when a shout of NYPD was short lived when two uniformed officers grabbed Timber, who was next to Annabelle, and Annabelle, ignoring the fact that her top was exposing her body in a way that she was obviously uncomfortable in, and pulled them outside and quickly cuffing them, her protests falling on deaf ears, although a female officer did give her a jacket to slip on before the cuffs were added.

Once at the precinct, Olivia gave her an oversized hoodie, which she instantly switched the jacket out for, and allowed her to sit in her office as people began getting processed. "Do I wanna know why you're dressed like that?" Annabelle bit her lip in frustration at the sound of the voice, looking up; only to see that her boyfriend had been talking to Olivia and didn't even see her until the lieutenant had shut the door. "Cariño?" She was saved from answering when Olivia took the reins of telling Rafael what had happened. The redhead winced as he voice changed pitch when he learned of Martha's involvement and the fact that Olivia went behind his back. When Olivia left to question the apparently undercover Declan Murphy, the Cuban turned his attention back to his love, eyes running across her body in quick secession, as if he was checking for possible injuries, "Are you okay?" She nodded, afraid to speak in case she started crying again. "What happened?" Rafael got on one knee in front of his girlfriend, lightly grasping her hands, "Did you get hurt?"

She shook her head negatively, "Tracy runs a freaking brothel. A brothel! I showed up and saw Liv and Fin and Carisi and she said I had to stay because it would be strange and then the Irish dude showed up and hit Carisi and he ripped my shirt and then there were guns and I got arrested and I…I…" He grabbed her into a tight hug, murmuring that everything would be okay and that she was fine. After she was calmed down, he led her to a room full of cots, telling her to get some rest while he dealt with the things happening around them. Unraveling the ear buds in his pocket, he plugged them into her phone, making sure it was charged enough before kissing the top of her head and telling her to give him a text if she needed him for any reason, before going back to watch an interview between Fin, Rollins, and the pimp named Timmer.


	10. Motherhood & Measles

First off, thank you so much to the guest that reviewed. I'm so happy you like it! This update is dedicated to you; I hope you like it. Second, thanks so much for the new follows and favourites. Third, this is my take on "Granting Immunity". As usual, let me know what you think? - N

Chapter 10- Motherhood & Measles

Annabelle sat in Rafael's office, lost in her thoughts and absently staring at the man sitting across the room in his salmon colored shirt, jumping when he spoke, "Quit staring at me, Cariño."

She dropped the pen she had been doodling with and walked from the couch to stand in front of him, her knees touching the inside of his thighs as he sat in his office chair. "But you're just so pretty." Ignoring the unimpressed look he shot her, she moved so that she was straddling his lap, "Want me to prove just how pretty I think you are?" As she spoke, she moved so that her hands were loosening his maroon tie and unbuttoning the top of his shirt, before allowing the pink painted nails to come to a rest at the back of his neck.

"This is highly inappropriate." His hands gripped her hips loosely as her lips found his neck.

"Want me to stop?" There was a teasing glint in her eyes as she pulled away, smiling against his lips when he pulled their mouths together for the beginning of a heavy make out session that would end up leaving them both wanting more.

Two hours later, the couple was sitting on opposite sides of the table in his office, as Carisi and Rollins discussed the latest case with the ADA, although she offered to leave all three told her she could stay, so she ignored them for the most part, furiously working on an essay that was due at the beginning of the next week, once spring break was over. "Nine teenagers alone in a ten million dollar loft in Tribeca. What could possibly go wrong?"

"They got drunk and high. Stripped down and had an oral sex competition," Carisi pointed out a random photo on the board, "They used different shades of lipstick—"

"I- I get it."

Annabelle couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped, causing the three people to look at her, "I'm sorry. I just didn't think people still had rainbow parties."

"What do you know about rain—you know what? I don't wanna know right now." She shot the man a wink and resumed her typing about the pros and cons of an utilitarian government. She barely noticed as the group sat down as their conversation continued. "How viral has this gone?"

"In the school, pretty far." Annabelle did her best not to roll her eyes at the obvious answer given by Rollins. That wasn't what he was asking.

"Email? Text? Social Media?"

"We're not sure."

Annabelle over at the group, before closing out her paper and pulling up an icon that would allow her to log into the Attention Inc databases, only momentarily thinking about whether or not if it was a breach in her job title to use the app for personal searches. "Gimme their names and ten minutes, I'll find out." She was wrong; it only took seven minutes for to find that four of the people from the party had been stupid enough to post some of the photos to their twitters or instagrams. They were still discussing the case when her alarm went off from inside her bag. "That's my cue." She stood and packed her stuff up before moving to give Rafael a kiss to the cheek, "I'll see you at dinner." Giving a nod to the two detectives, she grabbed her bag on the way out and made her way to the airport.

At 1pm, Rafael received a text message that made him grin, unable to hide it from his mother who had shown up for a late lunch. Upon her questions, he turned the phone around for her to see the photo of Louise and Noah both feeding a baby goat. "Her niece came in for a couple of days, since they're both on spring break, and she offered to watch Noah for Liv."

Lucia was silent for a few minutes, before she finally admitted, "she's good for you."

At Central Park, Annabelle was standing between the two children, hand on Noah's back as they went up and down while the carousel moved in a circle. Olivia warned her that the toddler may be a little cranky as he had received his MMR vaccine, but after a quick lunch, which included ice cream, at the café in the zoo, he was a happy kid. The woman watched as the two children ran along the glass wall in sync with a playful sea lions, their giggles filling her phone screen with obvious happiness as she filmed. It was nearing 4pm, and knowing the park would be closing within an hour, she allowed the kids to play for a little bit longer before the trio headed towards the exit, Noah kicking his feet as he rode in the stroller and Louise babbling on about how cool the animals were and how she wished the sea lion pool was that cool at home. They ended their zoo adventure by spending twenty minutes in the gift shop, where Louise obviously got a stuffed sea lion and Noah took mere seconds before snatching a snow leopard from the stack, making Annabelle smirk at his adorable expression as he squeezed the animal, knowing that she would have never been able to refuse him the toy. "Are you gonna get one, Aunt Anna?"

Smiling at the five year, she looked at the long wall of stuffed animals, "How about you pick out one for your little sister, and for the new baby." Annabelle had to call her back as she took off before the sentence was even completed, "And then pick out two others. Noah can give one to his mom and I'll keep one, deal?"

"Four?" After receiving a nod she started to dart off, before stopping herself and turning around, "Can I get Rafi one, too?"

Unable to fight the grin off, she gave her a nod, "You can get Rafael one, too." Keeping an eye on the excited child, she squatted to speak to Noah, "You gonna get momma a present?" Listening to his babbling reply she gave a mock gasp, "Really? You think she'll like that?" More babbling was what she received, causing her to softly rub his dark hair, "Let's see was Louise came up with," as she noticed the girl coming back with her arms full. "You find enough?"

"Uh-huh." She let a lioness flop onto Noah's lap, "That is for Miss Livia. Cause Noah got a cat. She needed a cat." She dropped a panda next, "For sissy." A grizzly bear fell next, "For baby." She then held out a penguin and an elephant, "I got the elephant for you…and the penguin for Rafi because he dresses like one. Do you think he'll like it?"

Annabelle gave her niece a large grin, doing all she could to stop the laughter from bubbling out of her mouth, "I think he'll love it."

Louise gave a single, sharp nod of her head, ponytail bouncing as she did, "Okay. Good." Her eyes caught sight of something behind Annabelle, "Can we take a picture in the box? Oh, please Aunt Anna, please!"

Giving a small laugh, she nodded her consent before pushing Noah's stroller towards the register, "Let's pay for the animals and then we'll do it on our way out, okay?"

"Okay, but hurry. I'm dyyyyying here."

Annabelle gave a slight roll of her eyes, wondering if she was that dramatic as a child before realizing she probably was. As they stood in line at the register, a tower caught her eye where she asked Louise to go grab one of the items hung up, for her.

-xXx-

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us today?"

Rafael watched as Annabelle slid a stud into her ear, before looking at her body in a pair of jean shorts and a navy blue tank top, "Cariño, I would like nothing more than to call off work and go with you…"

"But you can't. I know. I just figured I'd try to tempt you a little bit."

His lips pressed lightly against the cleavage showcased by the tank top, exactly where her heart furiously pumped in her chest, "You always tempt me. One day," he paused to clear his throat as her finger grazed his upper thigh, "One day, I may just break."

She giggled quietly, pulling his head up to give him a deep kiss, "I look forward to that day. I'm ready, Rafael. I love you," she let him think about her words while she gave him another brief kiss, "I trust you. Please, break."

He groaned the sound going straight through her body, "Cariño. We both have too much to do today, to even start this." Rafael moved their positions so that she was lying on her back, with his body just hovering over hers, his slight hardness pressed against her heat, "When my willpower goes, you will not leave this bed all day, entiendes?" The last word was spoken in her ear, before he slowly moved down to gently bite and then kiss her neck, as she took a deep, shuddering breath. The pitter-patter sound of Louise's quick steps resulted in him quickly getting up and walking to the closet, mentally cursing himself for forgetting that they were not alone. In the bedroom, he heard his girlfriend speaking to the five year old about getting dressed and the voices faded away, allowing him to think of other things in order to calm his body down.

After showering and getting dressed, he followed other voices into kitchen where Annabelle and Louise had been joined by Olivia and Noah and the four were sharing a breakfast consisting of eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gravy. He winced as food splattered onto Noah's clothing as the toddler slammed his hands into the plate and shoved a fistful of eggs into his mouth. Laughing, Annabelle handed the Cuban a steaming cup of coffee and motioned for him to sit down. "We have to change his shirt either way. Louise decided that the three of us would be wearing Disney outfits."

"Yeah! I'm a—" she stopped at the look that Annabelle gave her, taking the time to finish chewing and swallowing the bite she had just taken before starting up again, "I'm a mermaid," and Rafael finally noticed that she was wearing a sea foam green shirt that said 'Cutest Mermaid Ever' is purple cursive writing and fringe all around the bottom. "Aunt Anna is Dory! I love Dory." With that statement he vaguely remembered watching the movie and there being some song about swimming involved, which made the writing on her shirt make sense. "And Noah is gonna be Squirt!" He nodded at Louise with a smile, pretending he knew what a Squirt was, and desperately trying to ignore the look Olivia was sending him.

Less than an hour later, the two SVU workers had left together for their offices and the children were safely buckled into the backseat of Rafael's SUV as they made their way to the New York aquarium, a CD filling the car with songs from 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Finding Nemo'. As the day progressed Louise became more and more cranky, even catching an attitude when she found out the underwater viewing location of the sea lions was closed thanks to the damage created by Hurricane Sandy. By lunch time, Annabelle was more than ready to meet up with Rafael for Louise's going away treat, although Olivia taking Noah back to the doctor did put a slight damper on Annabelle's mood. When they arrived at Alice's tea cup, Louise's eyes widened in awe, as the fact that she was having a Disney tea party before leaving made her squeal with happiness and hug Annabelle in joy. The crankiness was gone, due to the short nap she had during the drive back from Brooklyn to the tea shop, where they had met with Rafael and Olivia briefly before the couple had woken up the five year old to spend their last moments with her before her plane ride back to Arkansas.

Once seated they seated, it wasn't long before their waitress came by and Rafael ordered for the group since Louise had to go to the restroom almost as soon as they had sat down, only because both Annabelle and Rafael knew they probably wouldn't be coming here often as they didn't usually have tea parties and Rafael wanted to go all out for Louise, not only because she deserved it but to help make up for the fact that he'd had to work almost the entire time that she was visiting. Louise, the ever questioning, was quick to ask about what they had ordered. "You get a pot of tea, a scone, a sandwich, and then dessert."

"What did you get? Did we get the same things?"

Annabelle grinned at Louise's never ending excitement before telling her what they had ordered, "We got a different kind of tea, some scones, cookies, and dessert. And Rafi and I get a sandwich, too."

"Can I have some of your cookies?"

Rafael gave her a wink, "you can have anything you want. This is your lunch, princesa." It wasn't long before the tea pots were brought out and the sandwich orders were taken, since Rafael wasn't sure about what Louise would actually want on a sandwich. Louise was able to order her grilled cheese sandwich on her own, afterwards giving both Rafael and Annabelle proud smiles as they ordered.

A few days later, Annabelle was sitting in Olivia's living room as the two women discussed random tidbits of their lives as Noah was asleep in his bedroom. They had found out when Noah was taken back to the doctor that he had been exposed to measles, everyone assuming it came from the brother of one of the teenagers at the high school they had originally began investigating due to the rainbow party. When the detectives showed up to discuss business, Annabelle took her leave to check on Noah, who was awake and wanting attention. They had only been playing for about five minutes when he started having problems breathing, thinking the worst, she instantly called out to Olivia and everyone went into action, in order to get him to the hospital. Annabelle going to tell Rafael, knowing that this new development would be massively important and influential to the current case, before stopping at a Starbucks to grab Olivia coffee and joining her at the hospital to await, hopefully, good news.

-xXx-

Annabelle wanted nothing more than to punch Trudy Malko in the face, as hard as she possibly could. The more the woman spoke, the tighter her fist curled, just aching to shut her up. Even through her anger, she couldn't help but smile when she noticed the penguin themed tie Rafael was wearing while he interviewed Olivia on the stand, knowing that she needed to call and check on Louise. Less than two days after she returned home, she was sick…with the measles. After threatening bodily harm on her brother for not giving the child the vaccine, even though he swore up and down that he thought she had received in when she was supposed to (the records showed she was not vaccinated). She had just gotten off the phone with her brother when she overheard part of the conversation between Olivia and Trudy Malko.

"overexposure to antibiotics may be why his immune system is so weak. That's another thing you should think about."

Olivia turned around, eyes blaring, "my son wouldn't have pneumonia if it weren't for you."

Annabelle was finally even with Olivia when Malko opened her mouth to start again, before pausing when the redhead stepped closer to her, "You may wanna think about shutting your mouth, before I do it for you."

She looked a bit taken back and Annabelle stared her down, until Rafael touched her arm, "Liv – Liv, is everything alright?"

The elevator doors opened and Olivia started speaking before she even got in, "No. His fever is spiking and if it doesn't come down, they might have to give him a spinal tap." The doors slid shut, as if giving the statement an exclamation mark, before anyone could say anything to comfort her. They both forgot about Trudy standing behind them, as they were consumed with worry for the adopted toddler, worry that only intensified when Rafael remembered Louise was sick as well.

"How's Louise doing?"

"She's in misery. Jake's had to basically move to a hotel with her, until she gets better. Doesn't want to risk Mandy getting sick while pregnant." She leaned her head against the wall, "I hate the fact that she would've never gotten sick if she hadn't visited us. Poor Noah."

The next day brought the first set of witnesses for the defense, after a woman sat on the stand, proclaiming how unfair it was that she wasn't allowed to decide what chemicals went into her child's body and how vaccines were so harmful, Annabelle was ready to leave, and if it wasn't for the fact that she was excited to see Rafael tear Malko apart, she would have. Once that woman was gone, Malko's lawyer was quiet for a few moments before speaking a name that had Rafael shooting to his feet in objection, "The defense calls Annabelle Stevens to the stand."

After brother attorneys approached the bench, Annabelle was told to take the stand. Shooting a look of confusion towards Rafael, she stood pulling her off the shoulder purple dress down to go a little longer than mid-thigh, hyper aware of the fact that almost every eye was placed on her. After a few invasive questions about Louise being sick and the fact that she had been with Noah for two day prior to him becoming sick, her frustration grew over how they even knew that Louise had the measles, and she regretted not smacking Malko yesterday in front of the elevator. It dawned on her that the vile woman must have stuck around and listened to her and Rafael's conversation yesterday, and now they were trying to pin the entire measles epidemic on her niece. That son of a –

"Annabelle." She was jerked out of her thoughts by Rafael's voice, and she noticed that he was standing in front of her, a determined look on his face, "when did your niece become sick?"

"She first started showing signs on Wednesday, the day after she returned home."

"Objection! The witness cannot testify to what she has not seen."

Upon the judge's agreement, she could tell the tension was increasing as Rafael's form became more tense. "How did she act during her visit with you?"

"She was fine. I mean, a bit cranky Tuesday morning, but I just assumed she was tired from the day before." She turned slightly, to face the jury, "We had spent the day at the zoo with Noah and then the morning at the aquarium," looking back towards Rafael she continued as if she hasn't turned her head at all, "After an early dinner, we took her to the airport where she went back home. My brother called me the next day, and asked about what she had eaten. He thought she might have gotten food poisoning."

"We've heard that the vaccine isn't 100% effective and Mrs. Malko believes that it can cause adverse effects. Have you ever witnessed any unusual actions by your niece?"

She shrugged, "No. She's bright and active; sassy. But, we did find out that she never received the MMR vaccine. There was a mistake at the doctor's office and my brother was told that it had been given, although all the paperwork shows that it had not."

"Objection! Hearsay."

Rafael looked at the judge, "It goes to show a continued pattern of those who have not been vaccinated contracting the disease."

"I'll allow."

Rafael was smug, "Nothing further." Annabelle had to keep her grin contained as she was dismissed, but as she met Trudy Malko's gaze she couldn't resist the wink that she paired with a mocking smile. The next day, Malko was found guilty of one of the charges and given three months in jail.

Noah was doing better, and Annabelle couldn't wait for Louise to get older, so she could tell the story of how a woman was sentenced to jail after giving the princess measles. All was well…at least until Annabelle got dragged into another case.


	11. Dinners & Gunshots

Hey all, sorry it's been so long since my last update, but I'm back (hopefully). I've finally graduated from uni, so besides working I'll happily be able to spend my time writing. I'm trying to get back into the hang of things and back into the characters and story I've got happening here. So bear with me for this chapter. Next chapter will be better. I promise! Xo, N

Dinners & Gunshots

Annabelle jumped at the sound of knocking, glancing up to see David standing at her glass entrance door. "You awake?"

She blushed at his teasing grin, before nodding that she was good. "What's up?"

"What are you doing tonight?" She began to shake her head no, only he didn't give her long enough to do so before speaking up again, "I made reservations for dinner tonight. 7 o'clock. Someone will drop something off for you a little later." Then he was gone before she could reply.

Shaking her head, she went back to work on the current project, happy to close it out two hours and forty-five minutes later. Annabelle twisted her neck in both directions, closing her eyes as it cracked and popped, bringing her almost instant relief. Glancing to her right, she noticed a long black garment bag sitting in the chair next to her door, someone had obviously snuck in while she was working on the marketing proposal for the company's newest client. Seeing as it was already 6:15, she pulled out her phone to shoot a quick text to Rafael , to let him know she had a business dinner and that she wouldn't be home until late, before pressing the button on her desk to lower the shades to her wall of windows and to darken her fully glass door, in order for her to change for the dinner. She rolled her eyes as she slipped on the 4-inch black stilettos, after zipping the tight black dress up. David always seems to think that she needed to dress a certain way when they went out to dinner or something, although he never openly admitted it to her, so she was never fully prepared for the nights out.

Shaking her hair loose from the bun it had been in all day, she opened her make up bag as she listened to the phone ring on her glass desk. "Hola cariño."

She gave a small smile at the endearing term, "Hola. I just wanted to let you know I've got a business dinner tonight."

"Again?"

She bit her lip as the sigh came through the speaker, "I know. He came by a few hours ago to let me know and then someone dropped off a dress for me. So, yeah. Do you want me to not go?"

"No. You can't miss it, love. It's just strange that he never tells you until the day of. Would it kill him to just give you a little notice?"

"I know. Honestly, if I could find something better, I'd take it. My grades are dropping. I made a D on my last paper for Jennings. I haven't made a D in anything since the seventh grade."

"You need it to graduate."

She groaned, dropping the eyeliner pencil back into the heart covered bag, "I keep trying to pretend I don't."

"Less than two months. You've got this, cariño."

"One month, 17 days. Then I have to start an actual job search. Although I have a feeling that he's going to offer me a full-time position, again. Then I'll have no reason to actually deny it."

"Just say no."

"Easy for you to say. You can find a job anywhere." She swiped a final coat of light pink lipstick on her lips and stood up. "I've gotta go. Or he'll be knocking on the door in a few minutes. Love you."

"Te amo."

Twenty minutes later, she was sitting across the table from her boss. 7:09. How much longer would she have to endure this? She nodded along as David spoke, as if she was actually paying attention or even caring about what was coming out of his mouth. Annabelle felt horrible for thinking the current thoughts she was, but she was beyond tired on his incessant flirting and fake innocent touches.

-xXx-

"Lucy, I'm home!" She heard the bark of laughter further inside the house as she gently shut the door.

"How am I the Lucy in this situation? I'm the Cuban." Sky blue painted nails caressed the side of his stubbly face as their lips met. "How was dinner?"

She rolled her eyes, slipping the long pea coat jacket off, revealing her new black dress, which received a raised eyebrow from her boyfriend. "Our completely professional business dinner ended up being a dinner for two in a darkened restaurant. Like the dress? I feel like a prostitute."

The tightened jaw loosened as his eyes roamed her body once more, lingering on the large amount of thigh and legs being revealed by the short dress. "You look lovely."

She brought her lips to his once more before patting his chest, "thanks for lying. I'm going to change." Less than ten minutes later, she returned in Winnie the Pooh flannel pajamas. "Did I tell you that I love you?" Rafael looked up from his notes as the red head plopped down beside him on the leather couch. "Cause I do."

"Why do I feel like you want something?"

"Olivia texted me about a weird squad bonding thing this weekend…involving pajamas."

"No."

"Come on! It'll be fun. I'll buy us a couple onesie and we can play with Noah. You can drink whiskey with you friends."

"Co-workers. Not my friends."

"Don't pretend that you don't love them."

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

"Oh no. I've already been online looking at stuff." His silence made her grin, before she slowly to the files from his hands and moved to straddle his waist, her lips finding their way onto his tanned neck. Rafael's hands came to rest loosely on her hips.

-xXx-

The following Friday came quicker than Annabelle thought it would, making her antsy to leave the office and enjoy her weekend. She still couldn't believe that SVU detectives were basically going to have a slumber party minus the actual sleep over part of the equation. She grinned imagining the tough cops she had first been introduced to dancing around to an old Spice Girls song in kid like pajamas. She knew it wasn't what would truly happen, but she was hopeful. Putting the final touches on the advertisement that was meant to be released early in the next week. Annabelle looked up as a shadow crossed the door, "Dinner tonight."

"Tanis, I have plans tonight."

The blonde's eyebrows furrowed as if she didn't get the concept of someone having plans. "It's an important business dinner. No exceptions to missing it."

She was gone before Annabelle could protest any longer. Biting her lip, she was slow to send a short text to her live-in boyfriend.

Annabelle Stevens: I've got another freaking business dinner tonight. And he better freaking hope it's really a business dinner. I'm sorry. I'll try to cut out early.

Raf: I'll let them know. Call me if you need me. Te amo.

Annabelle Stevens: I love you, too.

The senior locked her phone before shooting her finished product over to David via email. Looking at the clock, she pulled out her newest assignment, knowing that it was due before 8am on Tuesday, giving her less than five days to write a ten-page paper. At 5:00 she was walking out of the building to meet up with Rafael.

"Going home to change?" She glanced over at Tanis who was wearing a much more revealing dress than she was earlier in the day, before slowly shaking her head negatively. "Are you sure? Pants are fine for the office, but for a dinner…"

She barely glanced down at the skinny black dress pants she was wearing, before shrugging. "I'm going to meet up with my boyfriend. Seeing as I had to cancel the plans we made a week ago for this dinner."

Tanis scoffed, "You're still new. You'll learn that David gets what he wants." The doors opened, and Tanis left with her head held high, with Annabelle being left behind muttering to herself.

-xXx-

Annabelle rushed out of the office, ignoring David's call for where she was going. Rafael's phone kept going to voicemail, everything she called him. It took less time than necessary for her to get to his office, thanks to her hurried steps. Carmen was absent from her ever-present position at her wooden desk, but the light was on and the door open to Rafael's office. She let out a breath of relief when she laid eyes on the Cuban and the glass of scotch sitting upon his desk. "You're okay."

He looked up at her entrance, standing to greet her in surprise, "what are you doing here?" Wrapping her arms around his waist, her reply was muffled against his dress shirt. "Feel like repeating that, love?"

"I saw the news. They said Johnny Drake had shot three people. Didn't say who. You weren't answering your phone, Rafael!" The tears had started slipping from her eyes as her sentences completely ran together.

One of Rafael's hands rubbed up and down her back as the other held her closer. "I'm fine cariño. I must've forgotten to turn my phone back on." He continued to whisper reassurances in her ears until she calmed down enough to pull away and the tension finally leave her body. Once she was finally calm, he gave her the news that made a smile grace her light pink lips, "Noah is going to be a Benson."


	12. The Incident

Look! It didn't take me months to update this time. Thanks to the new followers/favourites on this story. Leave a review and tell me what you think? Here's chapter 12 and it includes one of my favourite episodes from season 17. Hope you enjoy it! N

Chapter Twelve – The Incident

Annabelle knocked on the black door leading to the brownstone, where she heard a slight scuffle before it opened a small amount, "Morning Mrs. C, I think I left my tablet here last night."

"It's not here."

"Are you sure? This was the last place I remember using it, and it wasn't at the house at all."

She noticed Mrs. Crivello tense up at the muffled sound behind the door, before speaking again, "Why don't you come in and look for it?"

She nodded as she started to walk through the door, "Thanks. I have class this morning, or I wouldn't even worry about it." A surprised squeak left her lips as she was suddenly slammed against the now closed door.

"Another sound and I'll blow a hole right through your face." Green eyes surveyed the room as she took in the two guns pointed in her direction. "Who are you?" She stayed silent, eyes fearfully locked on the gun next to her face. "Answer me!"

She jumped, "Anna," she cleared her throat, "Annabelle. I'm Tess's tutor."

"Did you call the cops?" His breath was no longer hitting her face, so she knew that question was not directed at her, until she was pulled from the door and slammed against it harder than before, "Are you cop?"

"What? No. I just came to get my tablet before I went to class."

"You better not be lying to me."

"I'm not! You can check. I…I don't have a gun. Or badge."

"I plan on it." She tensed as his hands roughly roamed her body, before he pulled the cell phone from her back pocket. "Rox, tie her up. Stick her with the kid."

-xXx-

"Belle?" The redhead was brought out of her thoughts at the sound of the child's voice. "I hafta pee."

She bit her lip as she thought of what to reply, "help will be here soon. Okay? It's all gonna be okay, Luca." Annabelle tensed as she heard footsteps before the door was pushed open more, her eyes widening at the sight of Olivia Benson.

The new-found silence was broken by the sound of a text notification from the phone in Joe's hand. "Hey, they caught your rapist. We should celebrate, huh. Who's up for a party?"

"Don't, Joe."

He ignored her pulling out a knife, and pointing it at the people in the room, "Eenie, Meenie, Miney, hoe." Benson's protests were ignored as Joe began to pull a struggling Tess from the room. The only reply the lieutenant was given was a sharp jab to the face courtesy of Roxie.

Each sound coming from the next room made Annabelle flinch a little harder, especially when Luca began screaming for them to make it stop. Benson was working on convincing Roxie to untie them, while Annabelle was trying to mumble reassurances to the little boy in-between her own flinches. She froze as the knife came into her view. "Keep him quiet." Soon she was stuck watching Liv calm Luca down, before he cuddled into her side, Annabelle's arms wrapping around him in what she hoped was a comforting position.

Joe soon brought Tess back in and Annabelle could not even look at her, feeling complete guilt that she didn't at least try to do something to stop it. She caught Liv's eyes as Roxie's phone rang and their captures held a conversation with the third. She smirked when she heard Mrs. C's protests against doing what they wanted. The doorbell rang the moment after they hung up. "Let me answer me. Whoever it is, I will get rid of them."

"No, no, no. She goes!" Joe locked eyes with Annabelle before pointing a gun at Luca's head, "You love them, right?" He didn't get her a chance to even reply before he continued, "one wrong move and it's lights out for the kiddies. You get it?"

Another doorbell rang as she was walking up to it. Opening it, her eyes widened at the sight of Fin and Carisi. "Can I help you?"

"We're with the New York Board of Ed. Truant Officers. Tess and Luca weren't at school today."

"Oh. They're sick. I'm…babysitting. They should be better in TWO days or so. I gotta go." She shot the detectives a panicked look before shutting the door tightly.

Once back in Luca's room, Joe grabbed her face, "what the hell did you say to them?"

"Nothing! I mean, that I was babysitting. They were from the school."

"Bullshit!" She heard the smack of the gun to her face before she felt the pain beginning to radiate across her jaw. "They were cops! What the hell did you tell them?"

"Just that the kids were sick! That they'd be back in a couple of days!"

"They may have figured out that I'm here. So, their next move is to call for backup. Now is the time for you guys to go."

"You just need to stop talking." Annabelle wiped the sleeve of her long-sleeved shirt across her bottom lip, getting rid of the blood that had accumulated there while she watched Olivia try to get the two to leave.

The tense silence that had enveloped the room as police cars showed up was broken by Joe's sudden revelation.

"You're gonna call them and tell them to stand down."

"They won't, Joe."

"Oh? You don't think I'm serious. How about I shove this gun down her throat?" Annabelle tried to stay still as the gun was pressed against her lips, although a traitorous tear slipped from on of her eyes. "Open your mouth, whore!"

"Okay, okay. No need for that. Give me my phone, I'm gonna call my sergeant."

"Speaker on. No secrets."

Annabelle kept her eyes focused on Luca's terrified ones as the phone conversation went down. "We're moving downstairs. You," Annabelle closed her eyes when the barrel of the gun pressed against her chest, "will take care of the kid.

They had a barricade set up in the living room before Captain Tucker made the first call. Because he can fly? Yeah, he's gonna fly off the top of this house if Benson gets the chance to do it.

"How about I don't shoot them this second?!" A few seconds later and the phone call was ended.

Now or never. "Joe?"

"WHAT!"

"What if you let Mr. C and the kids go? They are no use to you. You have Liv. And me. I'll stay."

"Oh, you'll stay, will you?"

She nodded, knowing that she would have been a horrible cop, because she didn't know what the heck she was trying to propose. "Kids get whiney and annoying. Olivia and I will do as you say. Less baggage?"

He didn't reply. She bit her lip as she looked away, towards the window, staring at the small sliver of light revealed by the gap in the blinds. She jumped when Joe screamed something and punched the back of her chair, barely containing the scream lodged in her throat. Her eyes tried to focus on the phone when it was shoved in her face, "he really thinks Ralph should be in here."

"We're not allowed to let civilians inside." She stared down at the phone, wondering if she could pull anything while Joe was distracted by Liv, but giving up on it and allowing her fate to stay in Tucker's hands.

"Let's make another deal. We'll give you the fifty thousand that Ralph got, and you send the kids out."

Annabelle looked over at Joe, wishing she had better vision, and that she didn't need the glasses that were currently hanging from the top of her shirt, the swelling of her left eye bad enough that they would not stay on properly.

"Okay. Joe said he would send one person out."

-xXx-

"Get him out of here." Annabelle stood as Dodds and another police officer spoke to Joe in the doorway, in their underwear, as she slowly ran her hands through Luca's sweaty hair, wondering what she had done to warrant being allowed to have her hands free while everyone else, including Luca hand theirs tied. "Take the girl, too." Dodds started to reach for the redhead, "No! She stays." Tess gave out a fearful sound before walking towards the door, slowly, as if Joe would change his mind. "Wait, the vests. Take them off."

Olivia put the vest on Roxie as Joe walked towards the kitchen, before the woman slowly left the safety of the house and made her way to the requested car.

It wasn't until Joe began yelling that she realized that Roxie had given up, as he stuck the gun in Liv's face, she pressed Luca's head to her chest, whispering for his to close his eyes and not look, as she was afraid of what he would see, either from Joe or Liv. He whimpered as he grabbed the lieutenant by the hair and threw her onto the empty couch.

Benson's words were interrupted by the ringing of her phone, this time when he answered, Joe did not put it on speaker. "No, we're all going out of here together and if anything happens, everyone's gonna die with me. End of negotiations." "Fine. When I get into the car. I'll give you the boy, but I'm keeping my girls."

Joe made Olivia stand in the middle between Annabelle and Luca, the trio all holding hands as he kept his gun pointed at the back of Olivia's head. When he screamed, Luca's grip tightened on Annabelle's hand. "Joe, we don't really need them anymore, right? You keep your gun on me. Why don't we let them go? And just make it about you and me Joe. I'm all you need. You and me."

"Go. Go."

"He's letting them both go." Annabelle went behind the man, before putting herself between him and Luca and began guiding him as fast as possible towards the squad she had come to love.

When the sound of the gun went off, she threw herself over Luca as he fell to the ground, unsure if he had been shot or just fell out of fear. "you're okay." She noticed police heading towards Joe and Liv, so she quickly helped the seven-year-old up, before releasing him to his mother as paramedics came towards her. "I'm fine."

"You're getting checked out."

She flipped her head in the direction of the voice, before wrapping her arms about the man in the tan coat. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the A.D.A. The real question is, what were you doing here?"

"Accident. Is Olivia okay?"

"Mhm. Cariño, let's get you checked out."

-xXx-

"Where are you?"

"At work. It's Wednesday."

"The doctor's told you to take two weeks off."

"Well, it's been five days. I have deadlines."

"You have a concussion."

"Rafael, I am fine. Don't worry so much."

"Someone has to worry about you." Annabelle just sighed, rubbing at her temples. "Don't forget mami is coming by for dinner tonight."

"I won't. I'll be home by 6." She noticed David walking towards her office, "I've gotta go." She hung up before he could get a reply in. "Hey, what's up?"

"Why did you not tell me you had a concussion?" She bit her lip, wincing as her teeth grazed where it was healing from the split. "You shouldn't be working."

"What's with everyone telling me that I shouldn't be doing my job? I'm fine."

"I know you are, but I would feel better if you stayed home and rested." She opened her mouth to argue, but he continued as if she didn't move, "Work from home for all I care, just rest. I can't let my best social media person be down, can I?"

She gave him a small smile before nodding and exiting out of the current program she was in after saving her progress, "alright. You win."

"I always do." She rolled her eyes as she passed, and he gave her a light smack on her bottom, "Don't make me punish you." His teasing grin took away the unease she felt at the touch. "I'll see you in two weeks. No sooner."

"The doctor said only nine more days."

"I don't care. Two weeks."

She sighed, "bye David." She didn't realize that she should have questioned how he knew about her concussion until after she had exited the building.

-xXx-

"How are you doing?" Annabelle looked up at the question, her brow furrowing in thought as she continued to absent mindedly cut her cookie dough pancakes up into smaller pieces with her fork. She eventually gave up on the words shew as trying to form and just shrugged her shoulders. "Have you thought about therapy? Barba said you haven't been sleeping."

"Neither has Rafael, obviously, if he knows my sleep schedule. Have you told him to get his head checked out?"

"Annabelle, I'm so—"

She shook her head, "don't worry about it. My bad. Seriously, I'm fine. I've just been trying to get caught up on my work."

"You've been working from home, and it's been less than two weeks."

"Yeah, I'm been doing my internship at home, but I've missed class. And two weeks away at college is like two months. I am so far behind that if I don't get caught up before Monday, there is a chance that I could fail. So, yeah I think I can go without sleep for three days just to make sure I don't fail my senior year."

"Is that the only thing that has been bothering you?"

"If you want to know if I feel like I'm going crazy because of the crap that Joe did, no. I'm fine, and I just wish everyone would quit asking me that." Olivia put her hand on top of the younger girl's, only to have her jump when her phone went off from beside her. "I've gotta go. I have a study group in a few minutes." She pulled out a couple of twenties and laid them on the table. "Thanks for the talk."

-xXx-

Leaving her final class of the day, Annabelle dialed a familiar number and held the phone to her ear, until the ringing came to an end. "Dr. Steven's office. How can I help you?"

"Hey, Sarah. Is Jake busy?"

"His last patient just left, I'll send you through."

"This is Dr. Stevens."

"It's me."

"Hey! How was your first day back?"

She sighed, before looking around and sliding down the brick wall to sit inside a semi-hidden nook, "it was okay. It felt good to be normal again."

"And?"

"And I'm glad to be back to it. I know Joe and Roxie can't do anything anymore. Roxie is in prison. And Joe's gone."

"Exactly. It was an incident that you should have been part of, but you were, and you survived. You're one of the strongest people I know. You've got this."

"I think I do." She noticed a text message come through from Rafael, "Thanks for talking me from the ledge these past couple of weeks."

"Always. I think you should tell you boyfriend though."

She grinned despite herself, "Yeah, yeah. I know. Bye."

"Love you, too."

Annabelle Stevens: Meet me for a late lunch? I need to talk to you about a few things – nothing bad. Promise.


	13. Murder & Manhunts

It's been a while. But life, man. It's been hectic. Conventions, conferences, publishings. It's also pretty strange to be a graduate now. But hopefully I'll be able to do more regular updates now that I'm finished at university. So, enjoy! Let me know what you love/hate. Give me your suggestions.

Love, Nikolle

Chapter Thirteen – Murder & A Manhunt

"Wanna do an early lunch? Around 11? Possible last chance to see me, and all that?"

"Why would it be the last time I get to see you?"

Annabelle smirked as she gave a small pause before replying, "What if a bear kidnaps me or something?"

Rafael shuffled into the bedroom, hands wrapped around a dark blue mug, the steam from the coffee still rising from the top, "What exactly are you doing that gives you the chance of getting attacked by a bear?"

"Dr. Jones assigned a pairs project for the final assignment. Derek, my partner, owns a cabin up at the lake. So, we're spending today and tomorrow there. Remember?"

He nodded along, their previous conversation coming to mind as she continued explaining, watching as she tossed a pair of jeans inside of her duffle bag. "He has the seven-year-old, right?"

She nodded, her voice carrying when she walked into the large closet, "Ashley, who is super excited that she is able to skip school."

The Cuban smiled in amusement as she held to Disney tops against herself before tossing one towards the bag. Walking towards the closet, she paused before turning around and grabbing the original and throwing the other one down onto the bed. "Call me if you need me, alright?"

"Yes, sir. Now…go to work," she gave him a small, lingering peck on the lips, "I love you."

"You, too, cariño."

-xXx-

Annabelle yanked her phone from her pocket for the third time, frustration obvious, before tossing a five-dollar bill on the table top to cover her water and leaving the building. Dialing the familiar number, she almost groaned as it went straight to voicemail once more. Pulling up her contacts, she waited as the new number rang, hailing a cab with her free hand.

"ADA Barba's office."

"Carmen, hey. Is Rafael there?"

"Hi, Annabelle. He's not back from his appointment yet, but he should be back sometime this afternoon. Would you like for me to give him a message when he gets in?"

"No, that's okay. Actually…will you let him know that I've headed to Caroga? His cell keeps going to voicemail."

"Sure! Have a good trip, Annabelle."

-xXx-

Four hours later, a dark blue SUV was entering a wooded area. "I feel like I have two daughters." Annabelle stopped signing along with Ashley to throw a smirk towards Derek, before beginning again with over exaggerated movements.

"So, what's the plan tonight…dad?"

The slightly older man sent her a playful glare, before putting the car into park, now sitting into from of the large cabin that had been in his family for generations. "I was thinking we could explore a little, before cooking dinner. We've got about two hours before dark, so we can get at least a basic guess of where we want to finish up tomorrow."

She nodded in agreement as they all got out of their confinement, grabbing her duffle and the two small bags of groceries they had stopped for along the way, "Sounds good to me."

-xXx-

"Carisi."

"Sonny!"

"Anna?"

"yeah. Listen, have you heard from Rafael lately?"

"Not since this morning. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Well, not really. But I haven't heard from him since he left for work. We were supposed to meet for lunch, but he didn't show. Honestly, I'm getting a little worried."

"He went to Green Haven with Dodds and Benson. I'll make sure he gives you a call, alright?"

Annabelle sighed, worrying her pale lips, "Alright." She went to hang up, "Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Anna."

The redhead jumped as a knock sounded at the doorway, "Sorry. You hungry? I made mushroom burgers."

The pair walked into the kitchen where Ashely was already happily munching on a plate of homemade fries. "I call making breakfast tomorrow."

"Deal." Derek kissed the top of Ashley's head as he passed by, before grabbing himself a plate. "Then we're going to kill this project."

"Then, hello, graduation." She was quick to sit the mustard down as she heard her phone start ringing from her assigned bedroom. "Be right back!" She tried to stop as she ran into the room but ended up sliding and flipping over the bed. "I'm okay!" Ignoring the laughter from the kitchen, she pressed the green button as quickly as she could, trying to catch her breath, "hello?"

"Hola, cariño."

"Hey! How was Green Haven?"

"It was – how do you know about Green Haven?"

"Sonny told me. I called after you skipped out on our lunch date."

"Oh, bonita, I'm sorry. You won't believe how crazy its been. I'll be home soon though, maybe."

"Alright? You just wanna call me back when you get there then? It sounds hectic over there."

"it is. Why would I call – oh, I forgot you left town."

"Yup. Happy little wilderness me."

She heard him say something to someone else, his words muffled by his hand, "make sure to stay in the cabin, okay? With Derek and Ashley. I have to go. I love you."

She wasn't even able to reply before the click of him ending the call sounded in her diamond clad ears.

 **MORE THAN A THOUSAND OFFICERS ARE NOW ON THE TRAIL OF THE TWO ESCAPED INMATES GREG YATES AND CARL RUDNICK, WHO BROKE OUT OF GREEN HAVEN CORRECTIONAL MORE THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AGO. THE SEARCH HAS SPREAD TO NEIGHBORING COUTIES AS LOCAL POLICE, STATE TROOPERS, ATL OFFICALS, AND DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS CONDUCT ROAD CHECKS, DOOR TO DOOR SEARCHES AND FULL SWEEPS OF THE AREA.**

"Did that just say Yates?" Derek nodded, still watching the television screen, as the redhead walked into the room. "Of freaking course. No wonder he was so busy." Walking back into the kitchen, she noticed Ashley finishing up her burger, "Did daddy already finish?" She received a small, food filled mumble in response, before smiling as another fry was covered in ketchup, the red staining her fingers. Sliding a patty into the microwave to reheat it slightly, she began assembling her bun with her condiments and vegetables, keeping an ear out for the news. Afterwards, she pulled out a notebook and began making notes as Derek watched a basketball game. "Okay, so we were talking about making pop culture references." She waited until his head turned in her direction, signifying that he was paying attention. "They have a monthly town meeting and an annual Chicken and Biscuits dinner for the town, which is highly reminiscent of Stars Hollow." At his blank look she expanded, "the town from the television show, Gilmore Girls. Nevermind. I'll work on the girly references."

His laughter was the only reply before the game came back from commercial, and his focus was gone once more. She continued writing an extremely rough draft as the game played out, the duo happy with their silence.

 **BREAKING NEWS IN THE MANHUNT FOR THE TWO ESCAPED INMATES FROM GREEN HAVEN CORRECTIONAL. OFFICIALS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT CARL RUDNICK HAS BEEN APPREHENDED. HE IS NOW IN POLICE CUSTODY. THIS AFTERNOON HE WAS DISCOVERED HIDING IN A DEOCKED BOAT BY CAROGA LAKE. RUDNICK SUFFERED MULTIPLE INJURIES. HE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE HE IS NOW BEING QUESTIONED. AND THE SCALE OF THE SEARCH IS NOW WIDENING FOR THE SECOND FUGITIVE GREG YATES, WHO REMAINS AT LARGE, AMID NUMEROUS SIGHTINGS FROM THE ADIRONDACK TO THE MEXICAN BORDER. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS THIS STORY CONTINUES.**

The duo shared a look before both dropping what they were holding and quickly making their way throughout the cabin to check that each of the doors and windows were locked, before meeting back in the living room, both slightly out of breath. "Want me to grab Ashley?"

He hesitated before shaking his head negatively, "let her sleep. Nothing is going to happen." He flipped the television off, "We should probably get some sleep. She's really looking forward to pancakes in the morning." Laughing, she nudged his shoulders when they met in the middle of the hallway. "Night."

"See you in the morning. Disney pancakes and all."

-xXx-

Annabelle flew up in the bed, searching for whatever had woken her. When nothing sounded out of place, she laid back down. It wasn't until her the hallway light flickered more into the bedroom, that she turned her head, expecting to see Ashley. Instead she saw Derek's back as he had already turned and began walking towards Ashley's room. Smiling slightly to herself, she rolled back over, closing her eyes.

Annabelle groaned as she was pulled from her dreams once more, this time by knocking. Glancing at the clock, she slipped her house shoes on, mentally questioning who would be showing up at 3:24 in the morning. Meeting Derek in the hallway, she paused to let him pass as he wiped sleep from his brown eyes. "Guess they've finally made it here for the door to doors. I've got it. Go ahead and go back to sleep." She looked towards the living room as the pounding sounded once more. "Goodnight."

Annabelle scratched softly at her forehead, "night," and practically fell on top of the full-size mattress. The voices in the next room were lulling her back into a peaceful rest, before startling back awake when something fell to the ground, making a loud bang. Muttering to herself, she shuffled towards the now lit up room. "You good?"

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of not only Derek, but also Greg Yates, who was standing over him. When the fugitive's eyes landed on her, they practically lit up in triumph, "I knew you wouldn't be here alone. Lying isn't very nice." Yates' eyes roamed Annabelle's body, slowly, "Now, you tell me. Who else is here?" She opened her mouth to say the couple was alone before he interrupted her, "Don't lie to me. You won't like the consequences."

"Just us." She paused at his eyebrow raise, "and his daughter. She's only seven. It's just us."

"And your name is what, sweetheart?" She closed her eyes when the back of his hand caressed the side of her face, to hide the fear that she knew was brewing in them.

"Ann," she stopped to clear her throat, "Annabelle."

"And them?

She sent another look towards her friend, before her eyes fell back to Yates, "Derek and Ashley."

"Good girl. Now, where is miss Ashley?"

"Asleep. She won't bring you any trouble."

"We'll see about that. Go get her." Locking eyes with Derek, she didn't move. "Now!" She jumped, but still didn't attempt to follow instructions. He huffed angrily, and it happened so quickly that she didn't see Yates' arm raising until she was already on the wooden floor. Her head pounding, she noticed that the but of the gun was slightly red, as if blood was coating it. Bringing her hand up, she winced as she felt the tender spot and the wetness that followed. "Go get her."

Annabelle was slow to get to her feet, but she made her way to the middle bedroom on the first floor, wiping her bloody fingers onto her Snow-White tank top. Coming into Ashley's room, she sat on the bed and gently shook the child until her brown eyes fluttered open, "Hey, sweetie. I need you to come in the living room. It's very important when we get in there that you do everything you're told, okay?"

"What's on your face?"

"You do understand me? You do everything you're told."

"Okay, Anna."

Walking back into the living room, Ashley looked from Annabelle to her dad to the man standing by the door, before quickly curling up on the couch, into her dad's side, his arm coming around her protectively. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Annabelle was stubborn as she looked away. He motioned for her to take a seat, which she dropped into the first available position. It was silent for a while, the ticking of the clock was deafening to her ears as she watched the hands move. "It took me a minute." Three sets of eyes flickered towards the voice, only his eyes were locked on the green set. "To recognize you." Annabelle's eyes clouded over in confusion as he continued speaking, "You were at the station. Talking to Amanda. Oh." The last word made her jump, as his tone shifted from knowing to plain excited. "Were you there to report something? Were you a victim? Rape, maybe?" She merely gave a small shake of her head in reply. "No? Then do tell, why were you at the station that day?"

She bit her lip, debating on whether to reveal that information. That debate ended when she saw his hand tightening around the handle of the gun. "I'm…dating…someone there."

He leaned forward, "Oh really? Who is it? The tall one? No, you look like you would like Detective Dodds a bit more." Apparently, she made a face, because he continued as if she said no, "then who?"

She took a deep breath, exhaling through her nose, before confirming what he was already hinting at knowing, "Rafael Barba."

-xXx-

 **BREAKING NEWS IN THE MANHUNT FOR THE ESCAPED INMATE FROM GREEN HAVEN CORRECTIONAL. OFFICIALS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT GREG YATES IS HEADED TOWARDS THE CHICAGO AREA, AND THAT RESIDENTS SHOULD STAY INDOORS AS THE PURSUIT FOR THE CONVICT CONTINUES. IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT HE IS NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF A STATE TROOPER AND HUDSON UNIVERSITY SENIOR, DEREK GREENE. NEW YORK STATE OFFICIALS CONFIRM THAT YATES HAS TAKEN A HOSTAGE. HUDSON UNIVERSITY STUDENT, ANNABELLE STEVENS, WAS LAST SEEN WITH DEREK GREENE, AND WITNESSES STATE THAT YATE FORCED HER INTO THE TRUCK AT GUNPOINT. IF YOU SEE EITHER PERSON, DO NOT APPROACH AND CALL THE HOTLINE AT THE NUMBER ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN.**


	14. Last Day Celebrations

Look! It's been less than a month for me to update! This is a bit of a filler…kinda…maybe. I don't know. But good news is, I have chapter seventeen almost finished…meaning I already have two other chapters written; I just have to type them up and get them posted. Maybe Friday – it's my next day off. Thanks for all the new follows and favourites. Ya'll are the best! Let me know what you think? What you wanna see more/less of, etc.

Nikolle.

Chapter Fourteen

"Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks."

"What are you muttering about?"

Annabelle looked up from her computer screen to throw a grin at David, "two weeks until I'm finished."

"Feeling a bit stressed?" She gave a small smirk followed by a shrug as her only reply. "If you need anything let me know...you're not like the others." With a wink, he was out of the door.

Taking a deep breath, Annabelle minimized the work screen and pulled up her assignment on Lake Caroga, knowing that she couldn't keep avoiding it. _You're not like the others._

 _"You're not like the others." Annabelle struggles for a moment and tries to keep her eyes from closing, although they do moments later, without her permission. Green eyes fly open as pain radiates through her leg, "Don't go to sleep, angel. You may have a concussion."_

 _"Then maybe I should go to a hospital." Mentally, she winced, hating how weak her voice sounded to even her own ears._

 _"Oh, no, sweet girl." His fingers gently caressed the skin below her sleep shorts, his eyes never straying from the darkened road, "I can take care of you." She shivered as the disgusting thoughts ran through her mind, trying to pretend that she didn't see the grin forming on his chapped lips._

The ringing of her phone caused her to jump, before she winced and trying to relieve some of the stiffness that had formed in her hands, due to how hard she was griping the glass table top so tightly. "Hel," she cleared her throat, "hello?"

"How are you feeling?"

She sighed in aggravation, "I'm fine, Olivia."

"Annabelle, it's only been a week. Maybe you sho-"

"Exactly. It's been a week. He's dead. I'm fine."

"We're worried about you."

"I had a concussion. No memory of the two days. I'm fine." An email alert popped up on the screen in front of her, which she was quick to open, "I gotta go." She hung up before she had even realized that she had once again interrupted the SVU lieutenant. Rereading the email for clarity, she typed out a quick reply and then printed out the halfway finished Caroga project, intending to deliver it to Doctor Jones the next morning. Noting the time, she closed the screens out and powered down the computer once the printer finished its work, deciding it was okay for her to leave the office early for the day.

-xXx-

Annabelle shot straight up in bed, a screen lodging itself in her throat as she realizes that she is in a safe place. Closing her now watery eyes, she tries to get her breathing under control, careful to not wake her sleeping boyfriend as she slips her plain black house shoes on and shuffles into the living room. When Rafael walked into the room, five hours later, her eyes are focused on the window as the sun rises, even though the light blue laptop is open in front of her. "Love?" The student jumped as if she had been electrocuted, looking towards the voice with wide eyes. "You okay?"

She quickly nods, "Sorry, just focused on this paper." Bleary eyes found the wall clock as she stood up, "I didn't realize how long I have been working."

Brushing his lips across her temple, his eyes glance at the stitches on the opposite side of her head, "How long have you been awake?"

"About two. I woke up with an idea and couldn't go back to sleep."

"You didn't come to bed until after midnight."

She ignored his not so hidden concern and walked towards the kitchen, calling out, "how about French toast for breakfast?" He sighed. "What?"

"Liv talked to me the other day. She thinks that maybe you should see someone."

The pan hit the counter with enough force to make Rafael wince, "What is up with you people telling me I should see a shrink all the time?! And I just love how the two of you have enough time to talk about me behind my back. Maybe ya'll should both be worrying about your caseloads. I'm sure they're piling up." He started to defend himself, but she brushed past him, "I'm taking a shower." When she emerged forty-five minutes later, in black dress pants and loose, light purple sweater, she was both surprised and relieved to see that Rafael had already left for work.

-xXx-

It wasn't until two days later, on Friday, that she spoke to anyone from the squad, including Rafael. It seemed that he was either sleeping in his office or finding another place at night, as he never came into their shared home while she was there, nor did he call her during the day. Finishing up her last official day as an intern for David at Attention Inc, she was a bit confused when the name Amanda Rollins flashed on her phone screen. "Let me guess, you think I should go to therapy, too?"

"Excuse me?"

"Isn't that why you're calling, Amanda?"

It was silent for a few beats, as if she didn't quite know what to say, "Not...exactly. I was gonna ask if you wanted to go to a club with me tonight. Ya know, celebrate your last day of work and all. But if you're not up to it, I understand."

"No!" She took a small breath before starting again, "No. I'd love to go out tonight. I'm off in about an hour."

"Great! Want to meet around 7:30 at Rabbithole? Then we can go get drinks. There's a newer club that I've been dying to try."

"Awesome. See you then!" They hung up a few seconds later, and Annabelle finished up the last bits of promotional work that she had before sending it out for approval and packing up the small number of personal items that had littered her desk since the start of her internship. Less than an hour later, she was locking the front door as she entered the brownstone and heading towards the shower, where she ended up spending over thirty minutes getting lost in her thoughts.

Rafael found her sitting in front of her antique vanity, applying a nude shade of lipstick, still dressed in her knee length Mulan robe, with a towel tightly wrapping around her waist length red hair. she tensed when her mascara coated eyes landed on his figure, leaning against the doorway. "Do we have plans tonight?"

She wanted to smile at his uncertainty, but she was still a bit angrier than she probably should be, "I'm going out with Amanda."

"Okay. call me if you need me?" She replied with a short nod before she began to unravel her towel, releasing the strawberry scented waves down her back, pretending to not hear his sigh before she turned her pink hair dryer on full force.

Walking out of the bedroom dressed in a long-sleeved, off the shoulder sparkly dress and sliver heels, Annabelle paused as she watched Rafael run ha distressed hand over his now unruly hair, before picking up his glass of scotch and downing it. "What do you think?"

He let his eyes roam her body, outlined by the tight fit of the teal material, lingering on the hem line that stopped above her knees. "You look beautiful." He stood up and slowly made his way towards her, until his hands were resting comfortably on her hips, "I'm sorry about this week."

"Me, too."

Kissing one of her bare shoulders, he pulled her closer, "I just worry, especially since I know you aren't as fine as you say you are."

"Raf, I'm fine. Really. Nothing really happened, and I've been talking to Jake."

"I feel like you're always getting hurt somehow, and it usually involves one of my cases."

"But...you're always there to pull me back to safety."

"I love you."

"You, too. Now, what do you say about joining Amanda and me for dinner?"

"No, go and have fun. Call me if you need me for anything." With an extremely less harsh nod, she pressed her body against his as she connected their mouths for a soft kiss, the first kiss they had shared in over a week.

-xXx-

"Okay, another shot on the house."

Amanda and Annabelle clinked glasses with Bobby D'Amico before Amanda spoke, "my momma is gonna flip when she finds out that I met you." Annabelle's eyebrows rose when the duo started flirting in front of her eyes.

"How is it that a pretty girl like you is sitting away from them. Not interesting enough?" Annabelle had moved away from Bobby and Amanda as their conversation turned into less flirting and more sexual references, only for the bartender, Ned, to appear before her not too long after.

Giving a short laugh, she took a sip of the strawberry whatever it was called that was just delivered, "More like not interested in seeing how long it'll take for them to decide to make out."

"You don't have to be alone. I'll keep you company."

"Thanks, Ned, but I'll be okay. I've got alcohol and candy crush."

"My name is Noel."

"What?"

"My name. It's Noel. Not Ned."

"Oh. Sorry." He walked away a few beats later, looking disappointed, so she began playing on her phone until she got bored and decided to crowd watch, doing a double take about fifteen minutes later when she recognized the man coming towards the bar. "Sergeant Dodds?"

"Annabelle, right?" She gave a quick nod as they stood there, he ordered a beer while she ordered another refill, her third of the night. "How are you doing? With everything?"

"I'm okay. Thanks for asking. Amanda brought me out to celebrate," she gave a short laugh.

"Rollins is here?"

"Mhm."

"Where?"

He was off before she could reply, so she grabbed both of their drinks and followed behind as quickly as she could, "Sergeant, what's wrong?"

"It's Mike."

"What?"

"Call me Mike. I have to find Rollins."

"Uhm, she went downstairs with Bobby. So, I wouldn't probably wanna see that."

"damnit. Stay here."

He hadn't even made it four steps for the Georgia accent as heard, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I had a feeling you weren't going home."

"You followed me?"

"Mike, good to see ya. You two know each other?"

"No." "Yeah, we do. We work together."

"You're a cop?" The disbelief in Bobby's voice was alarming.

"Yup. And I was gonna wait until tomorrow, but you're under arrest for attempted rape."

"WHAT?!" The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it, as she stared at Amanda in shock.

Outside of the club, she watched as Amanda and Mike were confronted by Buchanan, which led to Amanda walking off in a huff. "Annabelle Stevens. Barba's girlfriend. Hmm...what are you doing here?"

"Honestly, I don't even know anymore. I'll see you later, Mike." She ignored the smirk the lawyer gave her and Sargent Dodds as she started to walk away.

-xXx-

Annabelle chose to watch the inhabitants of the room instead of the video as Amanda, Olivia, Mike, Carisi, and Rafael all watched with varying looks on their faces. "You used yourself as bait?"

"Uh, yeah."

"And you took Anna along? You put a civilian...her...at risk." The redhead's eyes flew to the Cuban at the tone in his voice. She knew that tone. Amanda was a goner.

"Dodds said that if we didn't catch these two in the act then they were gonna walk."

"Oh, so this was his idea?" Olivia has the mom finger point down. Wow. "And now, I have to hear from your father, the deputy chief, that two members of my squad went completely rogue on me." After that, Annabelle zoned out, still unsure of why exactly she was in the room.

A few weeks later, she sat next to Olivia, in the crowd, as the trial against bobby D'Amico and Noel Panko proceeded, refusing to the look in the direction of the blonde detective. She hadn't spoken to Amanda in almost three weeks, why end the streak now.

"Objection, your honor. Please remind defense counsel that sarcasm is the weapon of the weak."

She couldn't help but smirk in amusement at his comment, leaning towards Olivia slightly, "He likes my sarcasm," causing the older woman to elbow her gently in the ribs.

The next day, the senior decided to stay home to work on her finals, all of which were due within the next four days, confident that Rafael would destroy them during his cross examination.


	15. Annabelle's Big Day

Hey lovelies, here's the latest chapter. Read and review? Let me know what you think?

Chapter Fifteen – Annabelle's Big Day

"You're shaking."

"Shut up."

"Hey, you'll be fine."

"What if I didn't pass? What if I can't graduate?"

The warmth from his hand brought her comfort, "you've worked so hard for this, and your grades are going to be phenomenal." Bringing her paler hand up, he kissed the inner palm, "lets go out. It'll get your mind off it, and when we get home, you can check for the results."

"Okay."

"Okay," he pulled her to her feet and gave a slight push towards the bedroom, "now, go get dressed. Jeans are fine." She giggled when he patted her butt as she turned away.

-xXx-

"Nitehawk Cinema?" She looked at him in confusion, noting that he skin seemed a bit darker, probably due to the light-colored polo he had paired with his usual pants.

"Figured I'd go with a classic." Rafael left the sentence hanging as he exited the car and jogged over to open her door, "dinner and a movie." Kissing her cheek as she got out, he continued, "also, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever seen you dressed up in something that isn't Disney."

Glancing down at her white tank top and open flannel shirt, she shrugged, "I just haven't been feeling it lately." He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze as they walked into the building. "What are we watching anyway?"

"One of your favorites and that's all I'm going to say."

"You know, I could just go to their website and see."

"You could, but you won't." She sighed, biting back a smile, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an affirmative reply. Once they were seated, an attendant brought their first round of drink to them, which caused Annabelle to give Rafael a questioning look. "You've never been here. I forget. Dinner and drinks come with the movie. It's…themed."

Grinning at how pained he sounded while admitting that their night was theme driven," And this is?"

"Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

Her eyes lit up as they flickered between the pink drink, the blackened screen, and her boyfriend, "we're watching 'The Avengers'?" She took a drink through the small green straw, "Oh, this is good." It wasn't look before others joined them in the theatre, and they received their food as the screen lit up, allowing her to briefly see the dinner card.  
S.H.I.E.L.D. Burger and house-cut fries  
blackened beef burger  
fire roasted red pepper ketchup  
creamy feta and goat cheese spread  
baby arugula

After the film, Rafael drove them to Tipsy Scoop, a place she had been frequenting with a few of her college friends for the past month. The A.D.A. ordered a scoop of spiked hazelnut coffee as Annabelle decided on dark chocolate whiskey salted caramel, knowing that they would most likely end up sharing with each other. It wasn't until they walked into their brownstone that she remembered that her grades should have been posted less than four hours previous.

It took Annabelle three tries for her to log into her student account, due to her hands shaking so badly. She closed her eyes, a small smile forming along her pink tinted lips, as she thought about how much Rafael cared about her when his hands gently massaging her tensed shoulders. A few more clicks and her breath hitched, "4.0"

"What?"

"I'm graduating with a 4.0."

"You did it!" She laughed, loudly, as she was picked up and spun around in his embrace. "I'm so proud of you, cariño."

"Holy crap. I'm graduating in three days!"

"You are." When she didn't reply, but instead stared at him with a smile on her face, he gave her a look, eyebrows furrowing slightly together, "What?"

Her left hand found the back of his neck, as she pulled him closer for an enthusiastic kiss. "I love you." She felt his grin against her mouth before she was lifted onto the table, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist, pulling him even closer.

-xXx-

Annabelle smiled over her glass of wine, listening to Austin's story about a recent court case. The six Stevens siblings sat inside Don Antonio, sharing a couple of pizzas. The group had arrived in the city that morning, a decision to spend some time with their youngest sister, before their parents, spouses, and children arrived the next day, Annabelle's graduation day. She and Rafael had celebrated the night before by going to Aladdin, which was on its final night of performances on Broadway. After lunch the six were hitting on of the many escape rooms that the city had to offer.

Once the group left the escape room, Annabelle broke off with her brothers, Austin and Jake, to go to the Indoor Extreme Sports Center, where they met up with Carisi, Fin, and surprisingly enough, Sergeant Dodds. Once everyone signed in and filled out their release forms the group was taken to get geared up as they decided on who the members of each team would be. "Come on Sonny, Dodds – Mike," she corrected herself as he shot her a look at the use of his last name. The worker assigned to help them set up took a couple of photos of the trio in their armor. Looking down at the black tactical vest and paintball sniper rifle, she smirked, "I feel pretty hardcore. Maybe I should've been a cop." The giggle that followed was the sign that she knew that was an impossible task for her.

Two hours later after fighting against her brothers and Fin, and the three other teams that were inside the huge complex that consisted of different 'war torn' stores, where bad guys and civilians were hidden, Annabelle was stripping the black tactical vest off her paint covered body, wincing as her jeans rubbed against a tender spot on her thigh, where she had been shot early on during the event. It was later that night that Annabelle wore a high waisted dark blue skirt trimmed in lace, with a lock V-neck neck button up, long sleeved white shirt with dark blue heels. She paired it with the jewels Rafael got her for her birthday and subtle make up. After kissing Rafael on the cheek, she left him to continue looking through his files as she left to meet up with her three sisters, Jessica, Natalie, and Nichole, where they would all be enjoying a Broadway show inspired by one of the movies that they grew up on – 'Mean Girls'. After the five-o-clock curtain, the four planned to stop at a local burger place, even though they were dressed up a little more than needed.

-xXx-

"So, what's the plan tonight?" Annabelle's voice was quiet as she glared at Rafael, their heads on separate pillows.

The Cuban rose, propping his body on his right elbow, swiping a fallen strand of hair from her face with his left. "Well, I was thinking I'd take you to breakfast. Then you can relax all day, until you have to get ready. An early dinner and then graduation."

"Sounds good, except…how about we just sleep awhile longer instead of breakfast?"

"Okay. Whatever you want, cariño."

"That was almost too easy," but she kissed his cloth covered chest and snuggled down deeper within the blankets.

"Cariño, wake up." Annabelle groaned, swatting at the hand on her shoulder, resulting in a chuckle. "I brought coffee."

Pushing herself off her stomach, she slipped on her overly large glasses, "should've said that first." She looked at the ADA, dressed in a dark suit, before glancing at the clock, "It's 2. Why are you dressed?"

"We're meeting abuelita and my mother for a late lunch, remember?"

"Si, si, Rafa," sitting the now empty cup on the dresser, she disappeared and the sound of the shower pouring alerted him to what was happening.

"You have an hour and a half." His only reply was a song from Mulan blaring from the other room.

-xXx-

Annabelle fidgeted as she stood in line for her name to be called, her red hair curled and the only visible part of her outfit underneath the black cap and gown was her peach colored chunky heels. She wasn't afraid to admit that the only reason she bought them was due to the bow on either side of her ankle, plus it matched the dress she had on, at least in terms of style. She easily handed the name card off, before adjusting her stole and cords. "Annabelle Daniella Stevens." Shaking hands with the two Deans of Hudson University that she had never even met until this day, she accepted the diploma case with a huge smile, before continuing across the stage to the official photographer.

Thirty minutes and a cap toss later, she was taking photos with her family and friends, Louise firmly planted onto her hip throughout the majority of them. After a couple of posed photos with Rafael, the couple told everyone goodbye as he pulled her away to give Annabelle her gift in private. It took less than an hour for the couple arrive back at their brownstone, where Annabelle jumped as the screams pierced the silent air around them, black painted fingernails coming to rest against her cloth covered heart. Once her eyes adjusted to the now brightly lit room, her lips quirked into a smile. Everyone had apparently gathered inside their home for a surprise graduation party. The squad was mingling with her family, and even Rafael's mother and abuelita had joined the celebrations.

Annabelle's cap and gown had long been removed, revealing her short and slightly puffed black dress, which drew a raised eyebrow from each of her brothers when they noticed that it was completely backless except for the top section, where her short sleeves were connected across her back with a simply tied bow. Louise ran up, thrusting something into the graduate's hands. Her voice was full of excitement, "I got them for you!" The redhead grinned at the mouse ears covered in small flowers, especially at the pink bow, which was the same color as her shoes, centered in the middle of them.

Slipping the ears onto her head, she gave a small spin, "How do they look, princess?"

"Perfect! Like mine!" Annabelle barely realized that her niece had the same headband on top of her brown hair before the kid had ran out of sight once more as the party continued until midnight. As the clock struck twelve, everyone began exiting the front door, Louise announced that the party was over because Cinderella had to leave at midnight, too.

Removing the make up from her face, she smiled to herself as she thought about the last couple of hours and how they were filled with laughter, a few speeches, and all Disney inspired foods. Although Disney had been a taboo subject for her lately, she was happy with how the night had progressed and that the events of the day had been nothing but good. She was lying down on the bed, next to Rafael when he spoke, "I told mami that she could go shopping with you tomorrow."

-xXx-

"Thanks for coming, ya'll." Annabelle gave hugs to the remaining members of her family – her parents, Jakes, and Louise.

"Anytime, peanut. Love you."

"You, too, dad." A brief hug from her mother, and her oldest brother had his arms wrapped around her. Thanks, Jake. For everything."

"That's what I'm here for, nerd. I am so proud of you. For all you've been through. You are so strong." Feeling her eyes well up with tears, she released him and tried to pull away mumbling something about hating him. Giving a light chuckle, he brushed a quick kiss against her temple, "I love you, too." After another hug from Louise, the group split up, Annabelle and Rafael headed towards their own destination, suitcases rolling behind the pair.

Three hours later, the couple was greeted with a forceful burst of humidity as they exited the airport into sunny Florida. As their luggage was loaded into the trunk by Rafael, who refused to let her help, she started the car, getting the air conditioner pumping to cool them off. It took less than thirty minutes for the couple to reach their hotel, a room in which she just stood in the doorway, looking around in amazement. Unable to resist the childlike urge, she ran towards the king size bed, landing on it with a light giggle.

"If you like the bed, wait until you see the view."

Those words had her performing a slight backflip off the bed, landing on her knees before she rose up, ignoring her boyfriends amused stare, "oh gosh. Is that the Savannas?"

"Mhm," his arms wrapped loosely around her waist, her hands coming to rest on top of his, "we also have a kitchen and a jacuzzi."

He was momentarily surprised when she suddenly turned around, pressing her gloss free lips against his, "you're absolutely perfect, Raf. I love you."


	16. Magic in the Air

Thanks for all the favourites, follows, and comments. I appreciate it, so much. Here's the new chapter! Let me know what you think?

Nikolle

Chapter Sixteen

Tuesday morning brought out Annabelle's first set of jean shorts, which she paired with a grey tank top with the saying "Meet me Under the Sea," printed on it. Pulling the outfit over her dark blue strapless bikini, she whipped her waist length hair into a high ponytail, and grabbed her aviator sunglasses, before joining hands with Rafael, who looked far classier in a pair of dark grey Burberry swim trunks and a polo shirt. Forever a lawyer, although his willingness to take photos during this trip was making her extremely happy.

It wasn't until they were helping to feed the dolphins and petting their rubbery bodies that she noticed just how much tension had left his shoulders. "Do you want to journey to Atlantis?" At his blank look, she continued, "It's a roller coaster." She had long since folded her top inside her waterproof bag, knowing that there was no way that she could visit SeaWorld and not get wet, and her skin was already turning a delicious shade darker than before. Using their fast passes, they quickly hopped to the front of the line, where they encountered the dark and glowing passages, inside their "boat". "Dude, if something jumps out at me, I am so done." Rafael merely chuckled in her ear, as they both began blinking rapidly as their eyes tried to adjust to the newly revealed sunlight as the tunnel door opened and they began to rise upwards.

After visiting the penguins and petting the stingrays, they journeyed to the Underwater Grill, where they could watch the sharks swim around as they enjoyed their meal of ocean inspired dishes. Once their meals were finished, the Cuban revealed their next destination of the day, "I booked us two session, and there is enough time for a third, possibly a fourth. I thought you should see what all was offered before deciding on it."

-xXx-

Once the couple arrived at Discovery Cove, they were quickly led to the place where they would receive their snorkeling gear, as well as learning the rules for their underwater adventures. The closer they got to the water, the more her heart pounded in her chest, knowing that she would be swimming with sharks before the day was out. First, though, they were going to be playing in the water with dolphins and they would be getting to explore the Great Reef. Stopping at one of the gift shops inside the gates of the park, she purchased a small underwater camera.

After the final session of the day, she was incredibly thankful for that camera, as the number of photos she had taken to remember the events where must be framed at one point in her life. She got to take a selfie with a shark! Pulling up a couple of photos she had taken on her phone, she tried to decide on the one she wanted to post to her Instagram. In the end, she posted the photo sent to her phone from the underwater camera that had been taken of her and Rafael in front of the Great Reef with the caption – "Today, I was a mermaid."

As it was getting dark, they stopped at the Chick-fil-a near the hotel, ordering food to eat once they had made it back into their room. Both ordering chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, although he chose water while she paired hers with a frozen lemonade. Opening the door, she dropped her purse on the table closest, "I'm going to have to go on a diet when we get home."

"You are not."

She laughed, "You're right. I like to eat too much for that to happen." He disappeared into the bathroom with a change of clothes in hand, as she ambled over to her bag, stopping as she noticed something sitting on top of the bed. She smiled softly as she fingered the stole across the plush Stitch's neck – her graduation year printed on one side. Hearing the door open, she glanced back at the man who was currently pulling an old Harvard shirt over his head. "Did you do this?"

"Possibly," he watched as she picked up the mouse ear graduation cap, "do you like it?"

"Immensely."

Good," he wrapped his arms around her hips from behind, leaning against her bare shoulder to place a soft kiss underneath her ear before giving his usual smirk as she took a photo of the pair, her new ear sitting crookedly upon her head, "you make me act like I'm twenty sometimes," which a chuckle at the end of his sentence he pulled away to open their dinner bag, placing their meals on the small table in the end.

"As if you're so old. Babe, you're nine years older than me. Be young. Get drunk. Get laid."

"Are you propositioning me, cariño?"

She shrugged, "well, maybe not laid…but we could get naked in the jacuzzi," her eyebrows rose in an overly-suggestive faction, causing a grin to pop up on his face.

-xXx-

Annabelle yawned, pulling her cell from the front of her tan shorts, checking the time. 1:35. They had been at Animal Kingdom since 9am and for the first time during the trip, Rafael was on a business call, which allowed her light blue shirt to dry from the River Rapids, but unfortunately left her a bit bored. Checking her loose braid, she locked her phone and slid it back into its previous home. "Finally," she muttered as she noticed his hand slipping into his own pocket. As he made his way back to her, she questioned, "everything okay?"

"Yes. Just needing some information." She nodded, allowing him to lead her to the final section of the park. Coming upon the entrance, she turned, posing underneath the fifty-foot Brachiosaurus, until Rafael took her photo, and then smiling with a pal arm around his polo covered torso, as a family volunteered to take one of the two. They enjoyed two dinosaur themed rollercoasters, where she decided to buy photos that were taken on Dinosaur, by the hidden cameras, before they left the park for their previously decided on lunch venue.

Bubba Grump Shrimp Company was similar to how it was when she visited during her senior year in high school. Order crab stuffed shrimp, she watched in amusement as Rafael kept trying to sneak glanced at his phone, "Call them."

'What?"

"Your fill-in. Call them. Check on the case. Do your thing."

He started to protest, until she raised an eyebrow, daring him to even try. As he sighed and unlocked his phone, she gave a triumphant grin, while popping a piece of their shared calamari appetizer into her mouth.

-xXx-

Thursday dawned cloudy skies and chillier temperatures, so Annabelle donned the single pair of blue jeans she had brought for the trip, complete with a rip in the left knee, before pairing it with a sleeveless white shirt with a large Hogwarts crest on the front. Although due to the possibility of rain, and the cooler air, she tied a green and black plaid shirt around her waist. Capping her tube of red lipstick, she smiled at the sight of Rafael in jeans, even if they probably cost more than her entire outfit for the day. "Another polo today?"

"Not exactly," he paused, before turning to his suitcase and grabbing something," you can't laugh." Once he had the shirt over his head and settled onto his body, she grinned at the familiar symbol. "Online said I was a ravenpuff or something like that."

"Ravenclaw, honey." Kissing his lips, lightly to prevent her lipstick from getting on him, she continued, "I'm a Slytherin, so we're pretty good for each other."

-xXx-

"I'm so excited."

Chuckling, Rafael took a drink of his coffee, happy that Universal had a Starbucks, "Maybe you didn't need coffee."

"Eh," Annabelle shrugged, "Captain America, Raptors, and Potter. I'm pumped."

He smirked against the white lid," really? I couldn't tell."

Looking up at the large Hulk statue, she paused and sent him a challenging grin, "Wanna ride the Hulk?"

He hesitated as his eyes roamed the metal piece, "I think I'll finish my coffee. Go ahead though."

He ended up not riding Doctor Doom's Fearfall either, but he did buy a copy of her fearful expression to show her later. She'd hate it. Rafael did join his girlfriend during Popeye's Bilge-Rat Barges, which she realized was a bad idea when she had to pull her button up over the white shirt afterwards. It didn't stay on for too long either as they ended up riding the Jurassic Park River Adventure, and she decided that she'd rather have people see her dark green bra then have zero dry clothes throughout the rest of the day.

It was after that ride that Rafael wrapped an arm over her shoulders, pulling the graduate closer. She rose up slightly to speak close to his ear, "you look so good in that shirt right now, I wanna take it off of you."

"Really, Anna?" She grinned, her only reply was to nip at his ear. "Okay. Let's go see some velociraptors, yeah?" She nodded her consent, mischievous grin still playing her on her now slightly faded red lips.

-xXx-

"Do I even want to know what a hippogriff is?"

Annabelle shrugged, not stopping her trek to the front of the line, "mythology. Greek, I think. Maybe. You probably already know about them."

"Okay," his sentence halted as they watched a little girl wave her wand and giggle when something happened, "tell me why you have to get your wand tomorrow?"

"Because…you have to get it in Diagon Alley. It's the rules of wizardry."

"Somehow, I don't think that's true." She only shrugged, giving the ride attendant a smile as he opened the gate for their group. After a bit more exploring, the pair was seated at a table in the middle of the Three Broomsticks, both studying their menus. "What do you suggest, professor?"

She made a small sound of amusement before looking up from her menu, "Well, we had firewhiskey and pumpkin juice at the Hogshead, so I say you should try butterbeer. That's what I'm getting at least."

It wasn't until the waitress had left once they ordered their drinks that his phone rang again. With a sigh, he answered, "Barba." He looked at his date before standing up to go outside, "order for me, please." She gave a slight nod, noticing the waitress was already headed back in their direction with their drinks and salads. Once she ordered their Shepherd's Pie and Beef Pasties, refusing to order anything American, she played on her phone a little before taking a selfie and tagging her location.

-xXx-

Friday ended up being a bit different than the previous days of the week, as they didn't plan anything out besides the fact that they were just going to go to Diagon Alley and then Hogsmeade again. As it was her last day in the wizarding world, she decided to dress up a bit more. Today she chose a grey dress sprinkled with white stars and her signature black ankle boots, she left her hair down and pulled a Slytherin scarf around her neck. She couldn't help but smile at Rafael's jeans and blue polo, especially when he seemed to be more at ease in this almost regular outfit.

Stopping at Chick-fil-a once more, this time for breakfast, the duo ate during the drive there. The first stop inside Diagon Alley was Annabelle's wand, before they hoped onto the Hogwarts Express to make their way back to Hogsmeade, where she spent too much of her money at Honeyduke's and picked up some Slytherin merchandise at Dervish and Banges for her home office. "They actually have quills, Rafael!" They also took the time to write out Harry Potter postcards from the Owl Post, and sent them on their way to Annabelle's nieces and Noah.

"What's a pygmy puff?" Seeing the looks being shot in his direction, she quickly explained before grabbing one for Louise, and a Skiving Snackbox for herself.

-xXx-

"I'll have an Earl Grey and Lavender."

"Butterbeer, please." Accepting their treated from the lady in pink, the couple sat outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. As the sky became darker, they made their way towards the castle, to watch the building get lit up for the nightly show.

"You know, I planned this for tomorrow."

"What?" Her eyes didn't leave the castle, until his hand left hers.

"Ever since I met you, Disney has been a huge part of your life. Then I got to know you better, and I learned that you like sweet iced tea, and that it can only get made correctly in the South. I learned that you love literature…of all types, and that you went to every Harry Potter premiere with your brothers. Then Yates happened, and I've never been so scared in my life. Disney because just slightly less important, and you started laughing less. But overall this time, I've learned that you are the most caring, loving, crazy female that I have ever met. I never questioned myself about my ideas against marriage, until I fell for you. So, in front of the castle that you use to dream about living in, I ask you once thing," he got down on one knee, revealing a Minnie Mouse ring box, "Annabelle Daniella Stevens, cariño, will you marry me?"


	17. The Future Mrs Barba

Hey, everyone! Thanks for all the new favorites and follows. Here's the next chapter, let me know what you think? - Nikolle

Chapter Seventeen

Snapping a quick selfie of herself in the full-size mirror, Annabelle posted the shot to Instagram with the caption "Disneyworld bound." Today, she had chosen a pair of almost too short jean shorts with a light grey tank top covered in a large, distressed stitch image, complete with dangling Stitch earrings, and Stitch converse, of course. After a near silent ride to the actual park, she glanced at the Cuban, "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm fine."

"You sure? You've been kinda silent since last night?"

"Just thinking." She made a slight face at his reply, but otherwise let the issue drop as they ordered from the Starbucks on Mainstreet. Receiving their drinks, she asked to borrow a sharpie from the worker. Writing on each of the cups, she thanked the girl, and looked at Rafael until he held his cup in the way he knew that she wanted. Afterwards, she gave him a huge grin, and a peck on the cheek in thanks. "I hate you." Annabelle rolled her eyes at his words, still looking at the photos of their coffee cups, as she continued to walk through the gates to the creepy ride.

"I feel like the number of photos I'm taking is getting border line creepy."

"It hasn't been that many." He paused, snapping one of her at the tombstones, without her knowledge, before flipping to her camera roll, "512. Really?"

She slapped his arm, laughing, "I told you."

He gave a soft kiss to her forehead, "It's cute, though."

"Uh huh. We'll see how cute I am when I draw blood because of these ghosts."

"You'll still be cute." He sighed, looking around at the happy families that surrounded them.

"What?"

"It's nothing." At the look she gave him, he continued as if she had spoken. "It's just always different with you. I feel younger, and not really me. I mean, if not for you, I'd probably have never visited Disneyworld."

Entangling their fingers, she brought her hands up to kiss his tanner one, "You can still be hardass Barba at work, but me…I get Rafael. The kind, gentle, compassionate man. They can have their ADA."

"Marry me."

She laughed, "You already asked me that." She lifted her hand, the white and purple diamonds glittering in the Florida sun, "Or did Mickey slip this on me earlier?"

"I meant today, Annabelle. Marry me today."

Shoving him away slightly, she grinned as she looked back at him, "You're insane." Following her laughter, he entered the building.

-xXx-

"I think you're a little too happy right now." She spun in a circle, her red hair whipping around as she grinned.

"I've met almost every princess. I'm ecstatic."

"I have one more surprise for you today." The couple had just left Fairytale Hall, and she was allowing him to lead her to where ever he chose.

Annabelle's eyes widened as she took in the building in front of her them, "no way."

"A royal feast, madam." She giggled as he gave a slight bow, before pulling the end of her imaginary skirt out as she performed a curtsy. Once they were seated, their waiter came to them almost instantly, where Rafael ordered a, "Cuvee dom Perignon," which caused Annabelle to raise at eyebrow.

"That's a three-hundred bottle of champagne, Rafael."

"It's the night after our engagement. Hush, let me spoil you." She merely gave him a smile, as they both went back to gazing at their menus.

As they ate their Castle salads, waiting for their main courses, she spoke once more, "I really don't wanna go back tomorrow. This week as been perfect."

"We can stay if you want. I'll quit my job. You can work here…probably as Ariel. I can lounge around by the pool all day."

She laughed, "And I'll be your sugar momma?" His reply was interrupted when the waiter brought out their entrees.

-xXx-

"I can't believe you announced our engagement on social media." Annabelle gave a slight smirk, as she scrolled through her Instagram feed, liking photos being posted by friends and celebrities.

Pulling up the post she had made less than three hours before, she gave the two photos a soft smile. The first was the one she basically forced him to take at Disneyworld with their coffee cups. On his she had written "just," while hers said "engaged," and had a small Mickey Mouse head on it. Her ring was showing, with the castle in the background. The second was yet another Starbucks, only this one was of her alone and it said, "Future Mrs. Barba," her ring was showing, as well as the bottom half of her face, which was smiling. "It has almost fifty likes." She didn't have to look at him to know that the look he sent her was completely unimpressed. "Have I mentioned how much I love my ring?"

She truly did love her ring. In the center was a round dark purple diamond, surrounded by six white diamond rose petals, while the sides of the white gold band had three small leaf petals, each side having one dark purple, one white diamond, and one light purple diamond.

"Once or twice."

Smirking, she grabbed him by the back of the neck and brought his slightly chapped lips to her pale painted pink ones, "Well, just in case you have any doubts. I love my ring. And I love you."

It was less than ten minutes later that they were in the first class waiting area, both playing on their phones. "So, it seems that the new guy won the case."

"The one he kept calling you about?"

His hazel eyes never left his phone, as he continued reading, "mhm."

"Well, then good job. To both of yall." A few seconds later, it was her turn to make a sound of surprise. "David wants to meet me when we get back into the city."

"For?"

"Uhm, apparently to have lunch to discuss a full-time job."

"Do you want to work for him again?"

She bit her lip, as she pondered the question, "You know, I'm not entirely sure. But, what does it hurt to at least go to lunch and hear what he hast to say? Maybe it'll be something that I can't refuse." Noticing the time at the top of her iPhone, she kept her eyes on the screen as she spoke less than five minutes later, "Have you ever thought about joining the mile-high club?" The fact that he instantly started choking on the coffee he had just taken a sip of, made her give a slight giggle.

"Don't tempt me, cariño." The lust in his eyes made her pause, as the hazel orbs lingered on the part of her legs revealed her the skirt of her short dress. A blush instantly found its way upon her cheeks and down her neck, even though she knew that he would never do anything like that.

-xXx-

Her phone rang almost as soon as they set foot on New York soil, "Hey."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Barba."

"Shut up, Jake," even she could hear the smile in her voice, "What do you want?"

"Just making sure you got home safe."

"Yes, big brother, we literally just landed ten minutes ago. Rafael is getting our bags right now."

"Look, you've already trained him well."

"Fight me."

He laughed, "the kids love their gifts, and Louise is very upset that I got to visit you in Florida and she did not."

"Tell her she can come next time."

"Uh huh." He must have covered the phone with his hand, because he spoke to someone one the other side, but she couldn't make much sense of his words, before he spoke to her again, "I've gotta go. My children are demons. Love you."

She chuckled, "I love you, too. Bye."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just Jake being…Jake."

Rafael smiled as they walked towards where they had parked his car, "He make it back?"

She nodded in confirmation, her eyes glancing up towards the New York sky, "Florida was great, but man, did I miss home."

-xXx-

Annabelle smiled at Rafael as she stood opposite of the Cuban, while wearing an above knee length white dress with a large horizontal cut out on her chest, revealing just a slight bit of cleavage. The older man wore navy blue dress pants and vest, over an incredibly pale red long sleeved button up, contrasting perfectly with his maroon tie. Her smile widened at his words, "I do."

The preacher turned his head to face the redhead, "Do you, Annabelle Daniella take Rafael Xavier to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, and comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Taking a deep breath through her nose, Annabelle looked into Rafael's eyes as she spoke two words, "I do."

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He gave the ADA a brief smile, "you may now kiss the bride."

Once they separated, Annabelle found herself wrapped in her oldest brother's arms, "Congratulations, Belle!" He turned, pulling Rafael into a manlier hug, "Welcome to the family, brother."

"Yes, welcome." Annabelle turned at the sound of the voice that had been haunting her dreams for weeks, to see Greg Yates, holding the same gun he had in his hands the last time she saw him. She flinched as the bang went off, expecting to feel something.

"Mierda." She turned at the gasp behind her, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she saw Rafael on his knees, hands trying to stop the blood from pouring from his stomach.

A shriek left her mouth as a hand gripped her arm, the metal of the gun, still hot from the last shot, pressed against her hip, "Do be quiet, Annabelle. It's time for us to start our own honeymoon, my sweet, sweet girl."

"You're dead. You were killed in Chicago. They told me."

"Am I? Because I feel pretty alive, to be honest." She felt his hardness against her back and tensed even more, remembering when he had kidnapped her earlier in the year. "Now, let's go."


	18. New Responsibilities

Here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think? Nikolle

 _Annabelle smiled at Rafael as she stood opposite of the Cuban, while wearing a above knee length white dress with a large horizontal cut out on her chest, revealing just a slight bit of cleavage. The older man wore navy blue dress pants and vest, over an incredibly pale red long sleeved button up, contrasting perfectly with his maroon tie. Her smile widened at his words, "I do."_

 _The preacher turned his head to face the redhead, "Do you, Annabelle Daniella take Rafael Xavier to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, and comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?_

 _Taking a deep breath through her nose, Annabelle looked into Rafael's eyes as she spoke two words, "I do."_

" _By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He gave the ADA a brief smile, "you may now kiss the bride."_

 _Once they separated, Annabelle found herself wrapped in her oldest brother's arms, "Congratulations, Belle!" He turned, pulling Rafael into a more manlier hug, "Welcome to the family, brother."_

" _Yes, welcome." Annabelle turned at the sound of the voice that had been haunting her dreams for weeks, to see Greg Yates, holding the same gun he had in his hands the last time she saw him. She flinched as the bang went off, expecting to feel something._

" _Mierda." She turned at the gasp behind her, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she saw Rafael on his knees, hands trying to stop the blood from pouring from his stomach._

 _A shriek left her mouth as a hand gripped her arm, the metal of the gun, still hot from the last shot, pressed against her hip, "Do be quiet, Annabelle. It's time for us to start our own honeymoon, my sweet, sweet girl."_

" _You're dead. You were killed in Chicago. They told me."_

" _Am I? Because I feel pretty alive, to be honest." She felt his hardness against her back and tensed even more, remembering when he had kidnapped her earlier in the year. "Now, let's go."_

Annabelle shot up in bed, heart pounding, panting, and covered in sweat. "Son of a bullfrog." She looked over to Rafael's sleeping frame, before slowly getting out of the bed and grabbing her black robe from the closet, covering her nude frame. Making her way into the living room, she flicked the small lamp on by the desk she called hers and opened her laptop after plugging the printer cord into it. An hour later, she had a dozen photographs edited and printed in various sizes. There were a few from their days at the different parks, including one where they posed near a shark, both completely decked out in their scuba gear. The one of them in front of the Cinderella's Castle was one of her favorites, mainly because she had convinced him to buy his own pair of Mouse ears and they were both posing with their ears on, Rafael's was, of course, a simple hat for a groom, while Annabelle chose the headband that was pure white with a small veil with it. After all, it was the day after he had proposed, so they were still celebrating. Other photos from their trip would also be making their way onto the wall that they had deemed to be their relationship wall.

Her favorite of the printed photos was the one of the couple standing in the center of an old wooden bridge, him in a navy-blue pair of pants and matching vest, while she wore a white dress. In her left hand, she held a small bouquet consisting of three red roses and baby's breath, her right wrapped around Rafael's waist. Another favorite was that of their first kiss as a married couple, on top of the bridge inside the Harry P Leu Gardens, her wedding and engagement rings reflecting their bright colors, where her left hand rested against his cheek.

After separating the wedding photos from the rest of the vacation shots, she uploaded the Orlando trip to her Facebook, ignoring the fact that she wanted to post the wedding shots online as well, knowing that she couldn't make them public until their entire families knew that they were married. After downing a glass of red wine, Annabelle shuffled back into the bedroom, throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top, she climbed back into the bed, smiling in content when Rafael slipped an arm around her waist.

-xXx-

Tying the bow around her waist, Annabelle adjusted the light blue V-necked wrap around shirt, the large single layer of ruffles hiding the tightness of the top around her chest. The top was long enough to cover the back pockets of her dark blue straight legged jeans, which she paired with a set of black high heels. Slipping the large light pink statement necklace around her neck, followed by matching earrings, she finished up her make up by swiping a nude color across her lips. Grabbing her black leather bag, she walked out the door, headed towards Vitae.

Greeting David, who was dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans and a white button up, she looked slightly surprised when he kissed her cheek. "How have you been?" He didn't give her a chance to answer before speaking again with a grin, "I must say, vacation did you good."

She felt her cheeks heating up slightly as she thanked him, and they placed their drink orders. Water for her, and wine for her former internship boss. She ordered a quick hanger steak salad, while he went for a sesame crusted salmon. "How's the office?"

"It's good. It misses you, though. Which brings me to my email." He paused long enough to take a drink of his third glass of wine, "While you've been gone, the Mayor of New York has asked for the company to create a team, who will help assist with cases when the police department are unable to move further into the investigation."

"You mean, when they have to stop because they lack a search warrant? Or because your systems can see just about anything, anywhere…given that the searcher knows how to look for things?"

He gave her his usual grin, "exactly. We can get the information, without breaking the laws that the police force is bound by." He paused, as if he expected her to ask another question, but she merely took another small bite of her salad. "Which brings me back to my offer. I would like for you to be the head of this new team. You would work directly with me, attend supervising meetings, obviously. The team would report back to you, and if a representative was needed to speak with the police or press, you would be that person." Again, he paused, eyes lit up, as if he was waiting for her to freak out in excitement at the prospect of this opportunity. He was once again, denied that reaction, as Annabelle gave a nod to show that she understood what her responsibilities would be. "Furthermore, I have the contract, here," he caught her eye as he revealed the thick stack of papers, "it's ready to be signed."

"This sounds like a fantastic opportunity, David…but do you mind if I have my lawyers look over it and let me get back to you in a couple of days?"

"You mean your…fiancée?" The look on his face startled her, until it was gone in the blink of an eye, "that sound reasonable. Say, let me know by next Monday? That gives you six days to discuss it with your…fiancée, and to think it over."

"Okay." The redhead slipped the ink filled sheets into her overly large purse, before they went back to discussing life in general as they finished up their lunches, David having let another two glasses of wine before the meal was complete.

-xXx-

"Everything looks to be in order to me. He's offering to pay you almost as much as I get paid."

Annabelle shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a hot commodity." Laughing, she took a sip of her sweet tea, before turning back to her husband, "What do you think? Worth it?"

"It sounds like a good opportunity. If you want it, I'll support you."

She nodded, looking towards the television again, "How was your day?"

He sighed, "the model versus the photographer. Fashion Week always brings in the worst things."

"Alvin Gilbert?"

His eyes narrowed, and his fingers quit running up and down on her leg, "How did you know it was Gilbert?"

"I didn't. I just remember something happening when I was like fourteen about him attacking some model. Nat was furious over how much the chick was lying, but I remember Nichole was flipping out because apparently his brother or dad – someone – ended up paying her off." She turned her entire body to look at him, his hand falling to the couch, "Wait…are you saying Alvin Gilbert attacked someone?"

"That's what the model says."

She bit her unpainted bottom lip, "How about if we see if he'll try it again?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Well, I was hoping to surprise you. I know a guy, who knows a guy, who was able to get me an appointment with Alvin Gilbert." She paused, almost laughing at the irony, "I've seen his work and I was looking for someone who would be able to do what I was wanting…which was to take a couple of sexy photographs for me husband, to celebrate our marriage." Rafael looked at her with both of his eyebrows raised, which she knew was because it idea seemed out of character for her. "I thought it would be cute, and I kind of have an appointment with him in two days…but now I feel weird and I'm not sure I could do it."

"Can we just go back to the sexy photos? Why would you do that?"

"You're my husband, and I wanted to give you something special."

"You gave me you. That's all I'll ever need." She smiled against his lips as his body leaned against hers, both of them coming to lie on the couch as they made out.

-xXx-

Annabelle's first official day of work came early two weeks later. She entered her large office inside of the Attention Inc. building wearing a pair of straight legged grey dress pants, black heels, and a white button up shirt with a large black belt around her waist. Small gold dangling earrings, three small gold bracelets, and her wedding rings completed the look. Pulling a single 4x6 framed photograph from her large black leather purse, she sat her wedding photo on the corner of her desk, knowing that she would smile every time that she looked at it.

It was a quiet morning, where she merely looked over different resumes and made lists of who she wanted to schedule appointments with and what questions she wanted to ask. It felt strange to oversee the hiring people to work on her team, especially knowing that she was new to the team herself. After deciding on twelve people to interview for the five positions, she stuck each name and phone number around her computer screen, so that she could call them after she got back from lunch.

Twenty minutes later, she was sitting at a table in Bistango, across from Rafael. It was after they had ordered their pasta dishes that he broke the silence, "Mami knows."

"I'm sorry. What?"

"She isn't very happy with us. Well, me."

"I thought we were waiting until we could take her and your grandma to dinner? You know, next week."

"Not my fault. Oh, don't look at me like that. He came buy this morning to say hello, and she saw my ring."

"Oh." She stopped to take a drink of her water, "How mad is she?"

He sighed, "A wedding in the middle of the woods with only your brother as the witness is not appropriate. She's demanding a redo wedding."

"A redo wedding?" She laughed, "we're not doing a redo wedding. Ours was perfect."

-xXx-

With a deep breath, Annabelle made her thirteenth call of the afternoon. It was twice. "Hi, mom. Is daddy around?" After they older couple put their daughter on speaker, she continued, "I just wanted to tell yall that RafaelandIaremarried."

"What did you just say?"

"Uhm, Raf and I got married. In Orlando."

"Congratulations, baby!"

"Thank yo—wait…what?"

"We're so happy for you."

"You're not mad?"

"No. What kind of person would be mad at their child marrying someone they love?" Annabelle chuckled, unsure of how to exactly reply to that. "So, tell me all about it."

" _Let's do it." The newly engaged couple was lying in the bed, their clothing scattered about the room._

 _Rafael's fingertips continued to caress the redhead's bare shoulder. "Do what?"_

" _Let's get married before we go home."_

" _Baby, I was just kidding. I want you to have your dream wedding."_

" _Any wedding in which I get to marry you, is my dream wedding."_

 _Less than six hours later the couple was stepping into their places at the center of the long wooden bridge inside the Harry P Leu Gardens, the preacher in front of them and Jake Stevens behind them. "You ready for this?"_

" _Always, Mr. Barba."_

" _Yeah, ya'll are so cute and sappy. Let's get this party started."_

 _Annabelle rolled her eyes, "Bro, shut up."_

Spending the last hour of her day talking to her parents about their trip and how it felt to be married. Her mother gushing about how sweet Rafael was for planning the entire wedding in less than five hours, including surprising his future wife with her closest sibling being their witness.


	19. Reality & Riker's

Here's the latest chapter! Today is my only day off for the week, and I really wanted to get this out for you guys, so sorry in advance for any of the errors you find. I did an extremely rough editing of this. As always, let me know what you think? N

Chapter nineteen

Annabelle rolled her eyes as she flipped through multiple pages of text messages, lighting the screen of her laptop up. "These girls talk about celebrities as if they have a chance. As if Johnny Depp would seriously date a 14…15-year-old. However old they are, whatever." She glanced as Mike Dodds who let out a small chuckle at her words. "I'm just saying. Oh, here's good stuff." She leaned back slightly as he moved closer to her and to the screen, "She needs to be taught a lesson. Ashlee is bitch."

"And we need to make her our bitch."

Scrolling down, she watched as the words flashed through her mind, before she turned to fully look at Mike, "There are pages. And details about their plans for revenge. Almost one hundred percent identical to what she says happened to her."

"Send me those pages." A few clicks and his phone dinged a couple seconds later. "Thanks," he sighed as he stood up from the leather couch, "I should get going."

Closing the laptop with a click, she pushed herself from the couch, as well, her slightly baggy jeans falling lower on her hips, "I'll walk you out." They walked to the front door in silence, before she broke it, "Call me if you need anything else. I've got alerts set so that if they text each other, I'll know it."

"Alright. Thanks, again, Anna. Have a good night." The two shared a smile before she closed the door as he began walking down the steps, clicking the two locks into place.

After changing into a pair of Slytherin pajamas that she had bought while in Florida, she curled onto the couch with some leftover chicken alfredo and a glass of Dr. Pepper, opening her DVR list, clicking on the newest episode of "Heart's Desire," a show she only started watching thanks to Nichole and Natalie. "Did Ryan rape me?"

"And, uh, we'll be back."

The redhead's eyes shot up to the screen, the instant the first sentence was spoken, "What the hell."

-xXx-

A week later, amid the rape drama of "Heart's Desire," the show that was causing her husband to spend more time at his office than in his actual house, which was not making for a very happy wife. Flipping onto the live version of the show, her eyebrows rose as the executive producers were on the couches.

"Good evening, and welcome to a special edition of "Heart's Desire." Rolling her eyes as the regular voice speaking, she kept an ear open as she made her way into the kitchen to fix herself a quick dinner. After fixing her ham and cheese sandwich, a handful of chips, and a can of Pepsi, she plopped back down onto the couch as the Princes were speaking. "The morning aft her accusation, Lieutenant Olivia Benson and detectives from the Special Victims Unit arrived."

"Oh crap," she was quick to sit the plate onto the couch as she saw Olivia's face appear on the television screen, grabbing her phone, dialing Rafael's number.

"Hey. I know I'm late, but I'll be here for at least another hour."

"Turn on the television."

"What?"

"There is a new episode of "Heart's Desire" airing, and you need to see this," her eyes never left the screen as she spoke, "They're playing it as if the producers solved the entire thing. The squad is on tv."

"Mierda." Annabelle could hear his television as it echoed across the phone line, "I'll call you back."

"Okay. Love," click, "you." She sighed as she looked at her now blank iPhone. "Alrighty then." Tossing the device onto the couch cushion, she turned the volume of the show up.

-xXx-

Tuesday night brought Mike Dodds on her couch once again, this time the duo was sharing a few boxes of Chinese takeout as they discussed the new evidence she had found for the case he oversaw. "So, you're saying that they conspired against her, as well as making the plan to pay her attackers. And you can definitely prove it?"

Annabelle nodded as she chewed on her lo mien, her loose bun bobbing on the top of her head. "I have all the text messages right here. I can give them to you, now or as soon as you get a warrant…whichever way you prefer."

"You're an angel."

She laughed, tossing a fortune cookie towards him, before pulling her phone from her pocket, "And yet my brothers always said I was a demon." She snapped a quick photo of him breaking the cookie open, before posting it on Instagram, knowing her brothers would see it, the caption reading, "My new brother says I'm an angel."

"What did you do?"

"Put you on my Instagram page. The last time we posted a photo, I got a lot of comments about you…so if Alice ever decides that she's too good for you…I have some southern options for you."

Rolling his eyes with a smirk, he straightened the tiny sip of paper out, "All the darkness in the world cannon put out a single candle."

With a slight wiggle of his eyebrows, Annabelle quickly broke her own cookie open before popping a piece into her mouth, "Gather your strength, for soon your resolve will be tested with a great loss." Making a face, she tossed the small slip into the trash pile, "ohhh, scary."

-xXx-

"What do you mean? You're going to Task Force? As in terrorism? Terrorism will kill you!"

"Being a detective could kill me."

"Not as easily. I mean, at least your perps want to create mayhem and not die for it. Terrorists don't really care if they live or die, as long as they kill people."

"I'll be fine, Anna."

"You know who says that? People who get killed!"

"Calm down."

"I am calm." She froze as the words left her mouth, instantly knowing that she was snapping, "Sorry. I'm just worried. Terrorism has got to be a lot more dangerous than SVU."

Mike shrugged, "It is, but I'll be fine. I know how to do my job."

"I know." Slipping her black jacket on over her pale pink, silk blouse, she patted his left bicep, "Come on. Let's go celebrate Carisi passing. I'll even buy you a going away drink."

Less than thirty minutes later, the friends were joining the other detectives and Rafael at their usual spot, the squad already laughing. It wasn't until after the first round of drinks had been bought and Carisi was on his way to the bar to buy the second, that Fin questioned, "how are you liking the clinic? Ken says you're doing a great job."

Annabelle nodded, taking a sip from her wine glass, "It's been pretty awesome. I don't get to do as much work as I'd like, but the time I do get it is awesome."

"How are you working with Ken? I thought you had a job where you helped us?"

"Oh, yeah, I still have my job at Attention Inc., I just volunteer a couple of days a week at the halfway house that Ken works at." Amanda nodded as her questioned was answered, but the redhead could still feel Rafael's eyes on her, although he didn't say anything.

It wasn't until they were getting ready for bed later that night, the Rafael brought the subject up again, "Why didn't you tell me that you were working with Ken?"

"You've been busy. I think I've seen you 10 hours over the past two weeks, and most of that was in passing as we were either going to bed or going to work."

"Yet you didn't feel the need to inform me that you are working with convicts and drug dealers?"

"First off, there is no need to call them that. Second, I didn't realize I had to report my decisions to you."

"I didn't say that, Annabelle. I just wanted to know that you were putting yourself in danger." His voice was dangerously calm, which told her that he was getting closer to losing his temper, something she had only seen once before.

"I'm not really in danger. I literally sit in a circle, or at a single table, and talk to women about how they are adjusting and if they are having any issues with anything in their lives. Most of them were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Most of them. Not all of them. You need to be careful."

"I am always careful. Why would I need to be even more careful, just for doing volunteer work?"

"Because you're my wife, Annabelle!" She jumped as his voice finally rose to a higher level, her eyes widening in alarm. He instantly noticed, "Lo siento. I'm sorry. It's just that things happen, and sometimes families are targeted by vengeful people."

Understanding bloomed in her eyes, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I get it. You get someone convicted, and they try to take me out. I get it, but you have to understand that I'm going to continue doing my best to create a change in the world. For women and children, especially so that our children can live on a happier earth."

-xXx-

A couple of months later, the other boot dropped. Annabelle had continued volunteering at the shelter, although Rafael wasn't one hundred percent on board with her decision, he respected it. It was a Saturday morning when Ken called her, "Are you available to meet up with Charisse? She needs to talk. I'm about thirty minutes away, but I'm eating with Fin."

She looked at the sleeping man beside her, surprisingly the ringing phone had not woken him, "Yeah, text me the address. I'll get dressed and head that way."

Slipping from the bed, she turned her phone onto silent and sat it atop the dresser as she walked into the closet. Donning a pair of light blue jeans with holes across the knees and thighs, a light grey v neck, and a dark blue baseball cap, leaving her hair in its natural waves. After pulling a pair of sneakers on over her Little Mermaid socks, she grabbed her round sunglasses and her over the shoulder purse, before locking the door behind her as she walked out the front door, towards Rafael's black Range Rover.

It took less than ten minutes after Ken's phone call for the volunteer to begin making her way through the park, before she saw the former inmate. "Charisse!" The older woman had her thick black hair pulled back into a tight bun, and she rushed towards Annabelle, her face getting closer to crumbling with every step. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Ken didn't tell you?"

"Just that you needed to talk."

"You remember Gary?"

"Your CO?"

"Yeah. He…he raped me."

"What?"

"You know about the stuff from before." Annabelle nodded, remembering their past conversations about his sexual abuse while she was incarcerated. "I told him I didn't wanna go down on him, because I'm back with my ex. And he got mad…and hit me…and raped me."

"Is this the first time he's contacted you since you've been out?"

Charisse bit her lip, shaking her head, "No."

"Oh. How many times has this happened?"

"At least once a week, since I got out."

"Oh, gosh, Char," she wrapped her arms around the woman as she began tearing up again, "You need to tell the police."

"No. He has friends."

"Not these cops. Trust me, okay?" Charisse gave a brief nod, "They'll fight for you. Not Gary, I promise." Pulling out her phone, she sent Ken a text, telling him to bring in Fin, who she knew would already know about the situation if he had been with his son when Charisse called. When the reply came, the redhead nodded at her phone, "Okay, we're gonna meet them at the hospital." At the look on the black woman's face, she continued, "It's normal for a rape kit to be taken as an assault has been reported. I'll be in the waiting room the entire time, promise."

It wasn't until she had been in the waiting room for almost an hour that Rafael called, "Hey, where are you?"

"Crap, I forgot to leave you a note. Something happened to one of the clients at the shelter. I'm at the hospital right now."

"Is everything okay?"

"Uhm, not sure yet. Let's just say, you're probably going to have a new case on your desk…and it's gonna be a doozy."

"I hate when people say things like that."

"Yeah, sucks to suck." She noticed the detectives coming from the back and quickly stood up, "Gotta go. I'll be home soon. Love you."

"You, too, cariño"

Pressing the red button, she greeted Fin and Olivia, "Is she doing okay?"

"As well as she can be. Go ahead and head home, you don't have to stay here."

She smiled at the older detectives caring voice, "I promised Charisse that I would. I'll take her back to the shelter after they release her."

-xXx-

"So, what is it you're wanting me to look out?"

"Prison security tapes. I know that you can get us in within five minutes compared to TARU. Get me something good, and it'll probably work with us getting a warrant."

Smirking, she made eye contact with Mike before nodding and pulling up the correct screens on her laptop. "Dodds, Fin, you're with me."

"What's up?"

"Barba."

"Yeah?" Annabelle froze after she spoke, seeing the amused looks on the faces of the people surrounding her, "Wrong one. Gotcha. I'll just be here. Not illegally hacking into Rikers." Giving a wink to Mike, she spoke again, "Let me know when you get a warrant, and then I'll give you the goods."

-xXx-

"Check the security cameras for that area." She nodded from her spot at Carisi's desk, accepting the manila file folder from Mike's hand, "this is the arrest report. I'm watching with Barba, come get me if you find anything worthwhile."

Ten minutes later, she was watching with wide eyes as a cop randomly pulled up and basically attacked her client in clear view of the camera. Standing up, she straightened out her knee length boho skirt and quickly made her way towards where she knew Mike was. "Hey. I got it. The entire thing, and it doesn't look good…for them."

"Security cam footage from the bodega on the corner caught the whole thing," Carisi spoke the moment the trio exited out of the room, and the entire group watched the arrest on a bigger screen, "See? They move right in. Nothing indicates probable cause. Am I right?"

"It doesn't look good," Rafael seemed hesitant to admit that Sonny was right about how it looked, which made Annabelle be forced to hide a smile.

"Now, when Charisse starts filming, they go up to her."

"They call that resisting arrest? They didn't even give her a chance to resist." Really, Amanda? Shut up.

"They're not worried that they're directly in view of a security camera?"

"Obviously not, babe." "What worries me is that this can't be coincidence. She and her boyfriend were targeted as soon as she started cooperating." Annabelle nodded as Mike spoke about the arrest, "Munson's trying to intimidate her."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Maybe? Raf, this backs up Charisse 100 percent."

"Maybe. Find out if there's any connection between these five officers and Munson."

"Or his father-in-law." Annabelle nodded at her husband's orders, as well as Mike's added statement, her high pony tail whipping across her shoulder as she turned around and left the group for her original spot at Carisi's desk, chunky heels clacking along the way.

-xXx-

Annabelle glanced at her phone as Rafael's name flashed onto the screen for the second time in less than three minutes, as she listened to David speak to the other department heads, in their monthly leadership meeting. Call number three. Decline. David had finally moved to another department recap when a knock sounded at the door. "I'm sorry. Annabelle, Sergeant Dodds is on the phone for you. He says it's important."

With a nod, she stood up, "be back in a second," she informed the room, locking eyes with David who smiled. Meeting up with her secretary at the door, they began walking down the hall towards Annabelle's office, "Thanks, Molly."

The Hudson intern gave the twenty-six-year-old a hesitant smile, "he's on line two."

Shutting the glass door behind her, Annabelle sat down in her black leather chair and picked up the phone, "This is Barba."

"Hey, we've been trying to reach you."

"Yeah, I saw Raf had been calling. I was in a meeting with the other heads. What's up?"

"Have you heard from Charisse?"

"No. Why? Is everything okay?"

"Not sure. Ken thinks she's AWOL."

"She's scared, so she's gonna try to skip town. She'll be with her kids first."

"We're looking for them. Liv and Fin have checked out her apartment and her mother's." She logged into her desktop screen as the older man spoke, pulling up the basic searches.

"Okay. Try 546 West 141st. It's the Langston Hughes playground. Charisse's phone pinged about two miles from there, but her mother's is currently at the location."

"Okay, will do."

"Have them text me if they find her or not. I'm headed back into the meeting, but I'll stay alert."

Ending the phone call, she slipped the royal blue blazer she had discarded earlier in the morning back onto her bare shoulders, covering the sides of her grey dress, before flicking the light back off in her office and making her way back towards the meeting. "Perfect timing." She looked at David in confusion as she walked towards her seat. "Your report."

"Oh," she settled herself into the leather before flipping to the page of notes she had started for what she would be discussing. "So, we've been brought in on five cases by the NYPD. Two of which are gang related, which Cassandra is heading. Phillip is handling a triple homicide, and Bryan has started a joint effort between the PD and the fire department to help solve a string for arsons in the Bronx. I'm heading up a large case with SVU. Uhm," she trailed off as she looked down at her paper, "okay, so last month we helped the department with 13 cases. This month we have already worked with six cases, not including the current five."

"Sounds like you've been busy. Keep up the good work. Everyone, great job. Let's get back to work." As everyone filed out, David reached out, stopping the newlywed from leaving with the other five heads. "Let's get lunch."

She smiled, subtly shaking off his hand, "sorry. I've gotta get back onto my case. I'm just going to get some coffee on my way to the precinct."

"You sure? I'm sure they'd be fine with you skipping a day."

"Yeah, we're in a process of a big break. Maybe tomorrow."

"Tomorrow. I'll hold you to it." With another uneasy smile, she shoved her notebook inside her overly large bag and darted towards the elevator.

-xXx-

"Gary Munson, on one count of rape in the first degree and one count of attempted rape in the second degree, how do you plead?" Annabelle sat in the gallery of the courtroom, comfortable in a pair of pale pink skinny jeans and a floral top, watching the arraignment.

"Not guilty on both, Your Honor." Munson's attorney seemed almost as slimy as the perv himself.

"People on bail?"

"Remand. I know that being a CO is one of the toughest jobs there is, and most of them carry out their duties with dignity and respect. That's why it's essential to send the message that New York City will not tolerate any abuses of power."

"Mr. Barba, this is not the time to score political points."

"That begin said, Gary Munson is not one of the good guys. He is a serial predator who abuses his position to assault female inmates. He has access to DOC databases, including home addresses."

"Mr. Munson is a dedicated civil servant, 17 years CO, no record, who himself is being victimized by career criminals with an Axe to grind." Annabelle rolled her eyes as the defense attorney began to speak again, instead locking eyes on Mrs. Munson who had been glaring in her direction for the last few minutes, the glare becoming harsher and harsher as Rafael spoke.

As everyone started to move, Mrs. Munson started towards the squad, her eyes locking on Annabelle's form, "You set him up. This is entrapment."

"That's not what's happening here, Mrs. Munson." Thank you, Olivia.

As the squad filed out of the room, Annabelle held back as Rafael gathered his paperwork, only speaking when they were practically alone, "you did great."

"She's not the most credible witness, and I may end up having to call you to the stand since you were the first technical outcry witness."

She nodded quickly in understanding, her fingers brushing against his waist, "Anything I can do to help." They paused as they both noticed Fin, Mike, and Olivia awaiting their arrival, "Well, I'm going home and getting into an incredibly hot bubble bath." Seeing the look on his face, she grinned, "be jealous."

"I am…incredibly…jealous," the words were mumbled, as he didn't want to the squad to accidently overhear.

"I'll see you later. I'll cook. Love you."

"Love you, too." Planting a small kiss on his lips, she left, smiling at the trio as she passed.

-xXx-

Annabelle sat next to Rafael, in a pale-yellow dress, which ended slightly above the knee, the thin belt around her waist matched the brown heeled ankle boots perfectly. Her curly hair in a high ponytail, a vanilla bean Frappuccino in her left hand, wedding bands glinting in Rafael's office lights. "Have I mentioned how sexy you look in that suit?"

"Cariño…"

With a grin, she leaned up, so that she could loosen his plaid tie, the dark blazer having been folded across his chair when she had first arrived. Unbuttoning the top button of his pale shirt, her lips found the newly revealed skin. Working the skin, her eyes danced with mirth when she thought about his reaction when he'd notice the mark once he arrived home that night. His hands came up to fist the loose material of her skirt, revealing more of her creamy thighs. Grinding down on the bulge forming, she couldn't stop the moan from escaping her mouth as his hand massaged her breast, thumb striking against a pebbled nipple.

"Barba. Oh, shit." Annabelle screamed at the sound of Carisi's voice, her body flipping off the couch against her will, as she tried to get off her husband. She vaguely heard the door slamming through her panic.

"You okay?" She glared at the standing Cuban from her position on the ground, hating how he had gotten himself together so quickly, as he stood above her, hands in his pockets. Her green eyes drifted down towards his crotch, where his bulge was still quite prominent. "Cariño?"

She groaned in frustration, but took his offered hand, "I hate him. So much." She accepted his soft kiss without complaint, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I knew better than to start anything. Especially on court day."

He gave her another brief kiss, squeezing her hips slightly, "Maybe next time we should remember to lock the door first, yeah?"

She giggled, wiping the gloss from his mouth, before allowing him to move away and go towards the door. "I'll see you in the courtroom. Good luck." Picking up her purse, she rushed past Carisi and Mike, a blush on her face, which caused Mike to throw an inquisitive look her direction. After fixing her make up in the restroom, she slowly made her way towards the courtroom being used for the day's proceedings, where she would be waiting until Rafael was free. When it got close to the time she knew they would be getting a break for lunch, she made her way to the closest food truck, where she picked up two Greek Salads, a Snapple, and a water. When she got back, Rafael was already outside of the courtroom, "where is your jacket?"

He looked down, as if he hadn't realized he had taken it off, "In the room, I guess."

"I brought lunch. How'd it go so far?"

Taking one of the salads with a smile, he sighed, "I think to call Liv."

Ten minutes later, he was pacing in front of the bench the redhead was sitting on, turning to greet Mike and Olivia when they appeared, "Thank you for coming."

"What's going on?"

She rose to meet them as the group of four began walking down the tall towards the direction the officers came from, "My gut is when the grand jury gets back from lunch, they'll return a bill of indictment on multiple counts of rape and sodomy of both Charisse and Leanne. Each of their stories reinforced the other. Plus, the female CO's testimony."

"Okay, what about Lisa, the wife?"

The group stopped, the officers coming to face Rafael, who spoke as if they hadn't quit their brisk pace, "She honestly believed she could alibi him. Munson didn't bother to tell her what she was walking into."

"Do you need us to pick up Munson?"

"He's out on bail, and he surrendered his SIG and passport. He'll be informed of the indictment through his lawyer." His head turned in the direction of the man he spoke of, as if he knew exactly where he had been standing, "When the indictment does come down, I'll need you to walk me out of here."

"Wait, what?" None of the more experienced people replied, and Rafael began walking back towards the courtroom, "What does that mean?" Her words came out as a harsh whisper as she caught up to his strides.

He stopped, gripping her hand, thumb running across her wedding band, "It means…I want you to go home."

"Uh, no. I'm not leaving you, Raf."

"Annabelle."

"Rafael."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

She snorted in laughter, "Go get your indictment. I'll be here when you get out. For better and worse, remember?"

He sighed, "I love you." With a grin, she gave a subtle pat on his backside, which made him toss a look over his shoulder, in surprise.

After the indictment, the quartet walked out of the courthouse, onto the steps where Munson's lawyer was being interviewed by the press. Rafael glanced between Annabelle and then Mike who was followed slightly behind the redhead, "Stay with her."

"You want a war, Barba? You got it."

"We're going to shut this city down!"

"Hold on, guys. There's really no need for this. Everyone's just trying to do their jobs, okay? So, how about you step back and let us through?"

"You don't know about the day-to-day reality on Riker's Island. It's all about the inmates. My Cos get beat up, jumped. But you lay a hand on an inmate, and they write you up."

"Good luck to you when you need a prisoner to testify," the same guy from before speaking up again after the CO representative spoke.

"You're looking at a big problem, Mr. Barba. You're counting on these guys to put their life on the line for you," he paused, eyes lingering between the three older members of the group, before landing on Annabelle, where they stayed, "That ain't gonna happen anymore."

"Okay, Mr. Rodriguez. You've said your piece. Now, guys, please let us through."

Annabelle's phone began ringing, and she paused long enough to pull it from her purse, pressing the green button, "Hey, David. This isn't the greatest time." She lost sight of her husband, as she tried to catch the words her boss was speaking, before she gave up, "let me call you back. I'm surrounded by people, and I can't hear you." She clicked the phone off without another thought and started making her way in the direction she last saw them walking. Catching sight of Rafael speaking to a guy in a leather jacket, she rushed towards him as the other man walked away. "Hi." He didn't reply, instead just staggering down on of the steps, still facing backwards.

"Hey." Olivia walked up, placing a hand on his arm, "everything all right?"

"Not really, someone just threatened to kill me."

"What?" "Who was it?"

"Just a face in the crowd. Tell the squad to watch their backs. This is just the beginning."


	20. Bullet Wounds & Townhouses

Bullet Wounds & Townhouses

Hello, readers! I hope everyone is having a good Monday. Here is the latest installment of No Regrets. I can't wait to hear what you think!

Nikolle

Annabelle rushed through the house, her already curled waist length hair forming a cape behind her, only falling to a stop when she found her destination. Picking up the ringing house phone, she gave a breathless "hello," as she held the black receiver against her pierced ear. When silence greeted her eardrum, she spoke again, "Is anyone there?" She waited as their heavy breaths sounded repeatedly, "I can hear you breathing." Rolling her eyes at the lack of response, she ended the call before quickly walking back towards the master bedroom to get dressed in more than her white underwear.

Twenty minutes later, the twenty-six-year-old was walking out of the house in a pair of wide leg grey dress pants and a cream peplum top with lace making up the parts to cover her shoulders. Her black chunky heels clacked along the sidewalk, as she slipped her phone into the oversized Dior purse she was carrying, her black dress jacket folded inside the handles. Grabbing a cup of coffee at the Starbucks near the subway station, she made her way to the familiar train.

Walking into Rafael's office at 12:30, she knocked once on the closed door before slowly pushing it open, careful to not spill either of the two new coffees from their cups as she did so. "Howdy."

Looking up from where he had been scratching notes onto a yellow legal pad, her husband gave her a quick smile as he rose from his leather chair, "What are you doing here?"

"I took the day off work," she placed a brief kiss to his mouth, before softly wiping the smudge of lipstick from his bottom lip with her black painted thumb. "Well, technically since I've been helping with another case, I took a work out of office day." He raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue, "Okay, okay. I just wanted to come watch you in court. I'm not sure if anyone has ever told you or not, but you're awfully sexy, especially when you're destroying everyone in your path."

His hands fell to her hips, "Oh yeah?" He smirked down at his bride, "I guess I should confess something as well…you look beautiful in my office."

"You like the outfit?" His hands grazed the swell of her but, causing her to breathe in, knowing that he would notice the lack of panty line. Her lips briefly bit onto his ear before she spoke again, "there made of lace. Wanna see?"

"Cariño." She grinned as his hands tightened, almost without his consent, "I have court in less than an hour."

Her hand tugged at his belt slightly, undoing it enough for her fingers to reach the button, "Give it to me quick." She bit down on the tan skin of his neck, "and hard."

"Take your clothes off, cariño." Giving her a bruising kiss, he walked across the room, locking the door, before turning back to his wife, who was bending over to take her heels off, her breasts straining against her bra. "Leave those on." Giving him a playful grin, she nodded, before standing up and sliding her pants down her pale legs. He gripped her hips, pressing his erection into her cloth covered core, bringing her in for another kiss, she yanked her to sit onto of the table, bending down to kiss the spot behind her knee before moving slowly up her thigh. She felt his lips turn into a smirk against her skin as his fingers grasped the sides of her thong, only for her to gasp her husband's name in both surprise and desire as the lace slightly burned when it was ripped from her body. Rafael kissed his way up her body, stopping at her lips, before he pulled far enough away to gaze at her, intently, his hands braced on either side of her body, as he leaned his suit covered body over her. "I think this sight gets better each time." Trying to hide her blush, her hands rose up to frame his face, before pulling him down to kiss her again. He allowed that action momentarily, before he captured those hands in his and pulled him above her head, her body following the actions, laying her back onto the table, "Don't move them," he growled softly, before his lips went back to work on her vanilla scented skin.

She began to squirm the more his tongue created different paths along her breasts and stomach. Annabelle sucked in a sharp breath when her legs were suddenly lifted and settled with the back of her knees resting on Rafael's still covered shoulders, his hot breath hitting the inside of her thigh once more, before she felt the graze of teeth. His left arm dropped lightly across her pelvis, before this breath blew across her heated core, promptly followed by his sharp tongue licking a teasing stroke along the entire length of her core, before flicking lightly at her clit. Her fingers tightened against the edge of the table as she tried to shift her hips to chase relief from that slowly building pressure.

The only sound she could hear apart from her own heavy breathing was the wet, slurping, noise that Rafael made as he as greedily feasting on her. His low groan was barely audible as it vibrated through her body, before he harshly sucked on her clit and slid two fingers into her core, causing her to moan loudly. As he continued, she managed to buck her hips upwards, until his still planted arm, firmly pushed back down on her pelvis and his mouth lifted from its teasing and turned to place a bruising bite onto her inner left thigh. She was close, it was boiling just beneath the surface; Rafael must have known it, as he stood up, allowing her legs to hang freely over the edge as his fingers pressed deeper into her body, his left arm abandoned her hip in favor of cupping one of her breasts, occasionally rolling her nipple. Hazel eyes met green before his lips landed precisely on top of hers, Annabelle's inner muscles clamping down on Rafael's hand. Her lips parted to give entry to his seeking tongue, as her orgasm ripped through her body, releasing her grip on the table, her hands came to squeeze his shoulders as she shuddered uncontrollably beneath him, the slow sliding of his fingers as he eased them out of her triggered small aftershocks.

Revealing a foil packet from its usual place in his wallet, he quickly rolled it on and after ensuring there were no air bubbles, he curled one hand around his throbbing member, brushing the rubber coated blunt head on his length against Annabelle's heated core. His lips delivered a sharp bite to her shoulder as his hips thrust forward to easily sink into her tight core. His rhythm was established immediately, with hard and quick strokes, his hand dropping to tease her clit. Feeling her muscles fluttering around him, he combined several long thrusts with a few pinches to her clit, which had her bucking hard against him, her muscles clamped down tight on his cock, as she moaned unabashed. The sensation drew a guttural grunt from his throat, as he thrust once more before he stilled, his orgasm ripping through his body as her muscles milked him of every drop, her orgasm contracting and releasing him.

As he felt her muscles relax, Rafael pushed himself up from her body, placing a kiss at her now bruising shoulder, he reached to grasp the condom as he eased himself from Annabelle's core, before disposing of the rubber in the small trashcan next to his desk. "I love you." After she spoke, she giggled slightly, "I'm pretty sure office sex is now number two on my list." Once he was firmly tucked back inside his pants, he hands her the clothes that remained, which she slowly began donning.

"What's number one?" Hopping down from the table to pull her pants up the rest of the way, she winced as her lower half throbbed. "Did I hurt you?"

"No." She finished zipping up her pants before flopping down onto the couch next to her purse to fix her smudged makeup. "I'm fine. Feel free to do it again." His lips quirked into a small smile, as he watched her open the tube of lipstick. "Oh, and the night of our engagement is number one."

-xXx-

"Mr. Barba, as I understand it, the defendant, Corrections Officer, Gary Munson, is already under indictment on nine counts of rape, and one count of attempted rape."

"yes, your Honor, but the grand jury has handed up a superseding indictment adding fifteen counts of forcible touching, and twenty-eight counts of sodomy. Given the quantity and severity of these additional charges, the people request that Mr. Munson's bail be revoked, and that he be remanded to protective custody in Rikers."

Annabelle sat between Mike and Olivia in the courtroom, hands placed in her lap as they listened to the new information being given. "The defendant is not a flight risk. He's the father of two young children, who need him at home, as does his wife." The redhead rolled her eyes as his attorney spoke, still not liking the man from the first time they had met.

"Given his strong family and professional ties, I see no need for remand," she sighed as the judge spoke, hearing Olivia mutter something under her breath. "I will, however, increase the bail to $500,000. Next case."

As everyone filed out of the courtroom, Annabelle smiled at Rafael, before motioning that she was headed out the door, as he caught her eye. He gave her a nod before continuing to pack the case files into his suitcase. Once she was clear of the doors, she pulled her phone screen up once more, quickly typing out a text in reply to a question from one of her team members at work. Nodding to Munson's lawyer and the CO person, the lead or whatever they called him, she leaned against the railing, waiting on the Cuban to walk out. When he did, he was on the phone with Carmen. The moment he hung up, Munson's attorney called his name. Rolling her green eyes, she took two steps forward, "Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to say goodbye before I left." Giving him a slight kiss on the cheek, she nodded at the attorney once more, before addressing her husband a final time, "I'll see you at home. Have fun with your motions."

Walking down the steps, a gasp escaped her lips as she ran into something solid, looking up she began apologizing to the man in the leather jacket, who was giving her a smile. "I'm so sorry. I was paying attention to my email."

"No harm, no foul, Mrs. Barba."

"Okay. I hate to have to hit and run, but I really have to go. I'm sorry for running in…to you." His grin became feral she realized that he knew who she was.

"It would be a shame," at her inquiring look, he continued, "for such a pretty thing like you to get hurt." His eyes narrowed when the only reply she offered was a single raised eyebrow; he leaned in closer, "tell your husband he better cherish you. You never know when something could happen."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, mami. Not at all. Just saying, accidents happen at the subway station or even in that little coffee shop you like to visit so much." He grinned again when her eyes narrowed into slits. "Have a good day, mami."

-xXx-

Annabelle released a deep breath as she sat on the top of the doctor's bed, wishing that they would hurry up, pulling her phone out, she took a quick selfie, looking extremely annoyed, and sent it to Rafael.

Raf: You sure you don't want me to come down there?

Annabelle: It's fine. Simply procedure. Blah blah blah.

Raf: Why don't you just take a pill again?

Annabelle: Miss a day, and you're screwed. The implant is the best form of birth control. It lasts 3 years.

Raf: 3 years?

Annabelle: Unless I wanna get it taken out early. No babies unless we want them. LOL

She frowned when he didn't reply, before pocketing the iPhone, assuming he had gotten busy in court or drowned in paperwork. It was another ten minutes before the doctor came into the room, "good afternoon, Annabelle."

"Hey, Dr. S, how are you?"

"I'm good. How are you feeling?"

She shrugged, "I'm fine. Ready for a nap," she laughed, "it's been a long day."

"Well, I've got good news and bad news."

-xXx-

Annabelle rushed into the waiting room, a leather jacket thrown over a pair of short red shorts and a superman t-shirt, locating Olivia, she stopped in front of her, "What happened? Is he okay?"

"He's in surgery."

She turned around at the voice, to see Mike's dad in a blood-stained shirt, "Chief Dodds."

"I told you to call me William, Annabelle."

She looked down slightly, "William. Have they said anything?"

"The bullet hit an artery, and its pretty much touch and go."

She gave a nod, tears forming in her eyes, "Do you need me to call anyone?"

"I got ahold of his brother and Alice."

She gave him a smile, knowing smile, "Want me to call his mom?"

"You have her number?"

"Uhm…something like that." Shaking her head, "don't worry about it. I'll get in touch with her."

An hour later, Carisi and Rollins approached her, "Does Barba know you're here?"

She shrugged, "I texted him, but I haven't heard anything since this afternoon, after his motions hearing."

They detectives shared a glance before Carisi spoke, "Someone threatened to kill him," he hesitated, "And you."

"They actually approached him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, uhm, some guy came up to me today talking crap about how accidents happen, and I should be careful or something like that. I didn't think anything about it."

"This the guy?" She looked at the photograph that Rollins held out, before nodding. "Stay here." With that the two abandoned her to visit Oliva in her corner of the room.

-xXx-

Annabelle stood in a black, calf length dress, her hair sitting in a loose fishtail braid on her shoulder, as she listened to the instruments play. It was sunny, as she stood next to Rafael and Olivia. William had wanted her in the area with a family, so she stood behind his blood family as Carisi and other officers carried the casket of Mike Dodds down the church steps. As the tears cascaded down her face, she felt Rafael grip her hand, in silent comfort.

Soon after, everyone sat around the tavern, drinking. "Counselor, just so you know, we haven't arrested Heredio yet, but we have units posted on his block."

"I'm not worried. Not in here."

She smiled as the two men clinked their glasses together, "Cheers." After the shots disappeared the Staten Island native turned back to the redhead, "What do you want?"

She shook her head negatively, "not drinking today." She sighed, "I'm just glad we know who's been threatening him, especially since he's so good at hiding it. I've been so stressed lately, drinking probably wouldn't be a good idea, ya know?"

"Alright, everybody, listen up."

At the end of Fin's words, Amanda took, "raise your glasses, a toast."

"To the bravest cop we ever worked with, Sergeant Michael Dodds."

-xXx-

Less than a week later, she was being called into the precinct with Rafael. "Honestly, this feels a bit too strange."

She smirked, "to be the one doing a line up?"

"Yeah."

"And you're not even in your suit today. The world may stop spinning when they you dressed casually…well casually for them."

She did her portion of the lineup first, instantly identifying Heredio as the third man. She was currently sitting in Carisi's chair as Rafael did his portion, only to look up as she heard the words, "Still wanna be an ADA."

"I'm been thinking about it."

"I heard there's an opening in Brooklyn."

"Thing is counselor, I took an oath to protect and serve, so I don't wanna leave. Not now anyway. After what happened to Dodds, it just doesn't feel right."

Rafael sighed, "in the end, we're all just passing through. How's Liv doing?"

"She's taking it hard." After their conversation ended, the couple made their way to the local restaurant for dinner with Lucia. Rafael lightly pressing his hand on his wife's lower back as they walked towards the exit, four uniformed police officers following behind them.

-xXx-

Annabelle released a breath in frustration as she removed the strands of hair that had gotten stuck beneath the thick straps of the blue crop top she was wearing. The yellow flowers in the top matched the shade of her high waisted skirt and wedge heels almost perfectly. Twirling the strands into a fishtail braid that hung over her shoulder, she slipped the blue and yellow posts into her ears, before doing a quick swipe of a light pink lipstick. Flicking the light off in the bathroom, she took the final steps into her shared bedroom, slipping her wallet and phone into a small clutch the same shade as her top, she went through the house, turning off anything she had switched on during her morning. With a final glance around the room living room, she lifted her Captain America keychain from its place near the door and left the brownstone to meet her husband in Chinatown, at their favorite Chinese restaurant.

Taking their seats in the circular booth inside the Chinese Tuxedo, they both quickly placed their drink orders, before glancing over the menu. When the waiter came back, she was quick to order her usual pan-fried tuxedo dumplings, and a crispy eggplant, while Rafael ordered squid ink noodles with shiitake mushrooms and garlic. "Okay, so what's this brilliant idea of yours?"

"I never said it was brilliant."

Her lips curled into a smile at his protest, "Okay, so what this this regular idea of yours?"

"I wouldn't say it was regular—"

"Rafael Xavier, if you don't tell me right now, so help me."

He chuckled, taking a sip of his wine, "I think we should move."

"What? Why?"

"After I made the mistake of giving Heredio our address, I've been thinking about what could happen."

"We'll be fine. Nothing is going to happen."

"It could, cariño." He paused long enough to take a bit of his freshly delivered dinner, "I found a townhouse in Chelsea that is less than ten minutes from the precinct."

She bit her lip as she thought, already intrigued by the idea of not having a 30-minute commute to his office, or 45 minutes to Attention Inc. "I guess you should tell me more."

"It's seven bedrooms." She blinked, and he was quick to continue, "7.5 baths. There's a garden and a private pool. We have seven stories to work with."

"Seven stories?! Why do we need seven stories?"

"Levels three, four, and five are nothing but bedrooms." She raised an eyebrow for him to continue, "I scheduled us a viewing next week."

"Rafael."

"I think you'll like it. We can talk to abuelita about moving in, and the extra bedrooms will be good for our children." Her heart pounded a bit at the thought of what was to come for them, although did was internally agree that they needed more than two bedrooms for the future.

-xXx-

It was a week late that the couple was meeting with the realtor, who introduced himself as Ryan, to view the almost two tall home. Having paired a set of skinny blue jeans with a light blue top that had ruffles around the shoulders and bust, her tan sandals crisscrossed along her feet. Rafael walked beside her in a pair of dark wash jeans and a dark burgundy polo. Slipping her aviator sunglasses to the top of her head, she looked around the entrance way as Ryan spoke, "straight ahead is the stairs, which lead up to the roof and down to the basement. The elevator is to the left. There is a half bath through this door," he gestured to the closed white door before continuing on, "If you bypass both of those, you will be making your way into the kitchen, which as you can see is open concept." Annabelle ran her manicured palm over the top of the granite countertop, listening as he spoke about the informal dining room next to the kitchen, which she could see from where the bar separated them, before leading them out to the garden, where she couldn't keep the smile from her face, as she looked at the three small trees. The entire wall to the garden was glass, which was an instant success in her mind. The blonde led them through the hallway, hidden by the elevator on the other side, to the den, which also had a floor to ceiling glass wall. "Let me show you the basement."

The trio took the stairs down, where her mouth dropped down at the sight of the large pool, surrounded by wooden flooring, with a single bench taking space on the longer two walls, walking back down the four wooden steps that led to the pool, they were shown another half bath, before laying eyes on the wine cellar. Afterwards, they took the elevator up to the second floor, where they were introduced to a formal dining room and the living room, "as you've probably noticed, each side of the house has floor to ceiling windows, it is a theme that continues to the top floors as well." Making eye contact with Rafael she grinned, knowing that he knew how much she loved big windows. As they glanced around the living room, her eyes continually strayed to the electric fire place, as it was over seven feet long and sat along the middle of one wall, while the other side was given a wall length mirror. The chandelier consisted of three long, golden rods that had a lightbulb on each side, which reminded her of giant q-tips in a way.

"The third level is dedicated to the master suite." They took a left out of the elevator and entered the master bedroom, with grey walls and a four feet long electric fireplace on the wall opposite of the bed, two chairs and a glass coffee table separated the two objects. "These doors lead us to the balcony," as they took in the view, which over looked the garden, he continued, "there is another short hallway just pass the fireplace, which leads to your dressing room. There is also a door from this room and the dressing room, which leads to your en suite." Annabelle smiled brightly as she stared at the white marble encasing the master bathroom. The two sinks were cut as if they were squares, with gleaming silver facets, a large mirror running the length of the vanity. "Here we have a two-person rain shower, and the free-standing tub was designed by Victoria and Albert." She wanted to run her hands over the ball shaped chandelier that hung over the bathtub, blushing as she envisioned what she and her husband would get up to in that shower, which was intensely larger than their current shower.

Moving up to the fourth floor, she was amazed by the first bedroom they entered, with its single blue accent wall and built in desk. "Each of these next four bedrooms have their own walk in closets, as well as their own en suites."

As they moved into the second bedroom on that floor, she spoke, "Why is there no shower or bathtub in this one?"

"When the owners built the house, they had one full bath put in on each floor, before adding the additional half baths on the same floors, so that their guests wouldn't always have to enter into the adjoining bedrooms." As the blonde led them back into the large elevator, she smiled as Rafael took her hand in his, before entwining their fingers together, her wedding band glinting in the soft light. "Now the fifth level has been mainly used as the children's rooms, as the larger suite has been designed for the youngest two in the family, so it is a bit less sophisticated than the other rooms." Annabelle's eyebrow seemed to raise on its own accord, before they entered the white walled room, although her eyes were instantly drawn to the rainbow polka dots lining the wall that the two full sized beds sat against, the wall design matching that of the two bedspreads. A white dresser ran along the length of the opposite wall, obviously have been built into the wall, a mirror centered above it. The hardwood floor was partially covered by a blue rug that looked incredibly soft.

"Is it just me, or do these people have a thing with mirrors?" She saw Rafael smirk from where she had leaned into his body to speak, "I don't hate them, but wow there is a lot of 'em."

"I'm surprised there aren't any on the ceilings."

"That'd just be tacky," she giggled before they exited the second room on that floor and headed towards the elevator once more. "If I ever wanna skip the gym, I know I could at least just walk up these stairs once or twice, and I'd be good to go."

"Actually, there is a gym on the next floor."

She smirked at the realtor's lack of reaction to her sarcasm, "Of course there is." And there was. When they exited out of the elevator, they entered directly into what had been made into a small gym area, with two treadmills, and elliptical, and a place to lift weights, a light grey wall separated half of the room, creating a much smaller space, which held a single glass table and white chair atop a fluffy looking grey rug. The make shift office looked out onto the terrace, which was lined by a dark railing. The outdoor area had ben set up for guests, as the large tiles were mostly covered by a white rug with thick blues strips, a white marble coffee table sitting in the center, with two wooden couches framing the two smaller ends of the terrace.

"There is another half bath at the end of that wall, but the next room is the family's flex room." He led them into another white walled room, although one of the walls was painted black and looked to be covered in chalk drawings, "I believe it was originally a shared office space, but as the children grew old enough to need more room, it was transformed into a playroom." She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from making a comment, as they could see the stuffed animals and other toys sitting in their designated spots throughout the room. "The final floor is the rooftop," they exited out of the elevator to the sun shining on their faces, "There is a grill next to where the elevator is located, and the entire area is lined with hedges." She stood next to the waist high hedges, looking out at the neighborhood. One side of the large grey tiles were covered by a thick striped yellow and white rug, a light wooden table resting atop of it, six chairs surrounding the object. The other side consisted of two large wooden lounge chairs on top of a grey rug, the chairs large enough for at least two people in sit in each. "So that's the end of the tour. What do you think?"

"I kinda like it." She looked between Rafael and the realtor, "how much?"

"17.5."

She looked at her husband with a raised eyebrow, until he elaborated what the blonde man said, "17 million, 5 hundred thousand."

"The hell?"

"It's a good deal. It's over 8,000 square feet. The mortgage is around $71,000."

"Rafael, that's a lot of money for a house that we don't even need right now."

"We will in the future."

"We don't need seven bedrooms."

"I think we should get it."

"I don't have that kind of money. I don't even get paid that much in a year. I haven't even had my job a year, and we don't need to take out a loan for a house this big."

"I have it."

"What?"

"I've been saving for the entirety of my career. We can buy this house no problem."

"You want this place?"

"I think it's perfect."

"I do like that skylight above the pool."

He pulled her into a quick kiss, before turning towards the man who had walked across the room, under the guise of giving them privacy, "Ryan, we'll take it."


	21. Arguments & Terrorists

Hello lovelies, here is the next installment of No Regrets. I'm really liking experimenting with sex scenes, though they do feel a bit awkward to write. Haha. Let me know what you think of the chapter? Enjoy, N

Arguments & Terrorists

Annabelle laughed as she watched Olivia spin Noah around, as if he was a plane, until the little boy became bored and Olivia finished her coffee and walked towards the bench she had been sitting on. Giving the younger woman an apologetic look when her phone rang. "Benson…Hey, Carisi. What's up?" Annabelle helped put the previously freed items back into Noah's bag as the lieutenant continued with her conversation, "you know what, I'll take care of it. I'm actually in the park right now…with Noah." Wordlessly handing the mom her bag, which she was quick to shoulder, "Uh, playground at 84th street, Officer Nolan? Got it. Alright," she looked up from the phone call to where the boy had found his way to the slide once more, "come on, sweetie." Annabelle gave a smile to her husband's co-worker and walked along side her, as they made their way to the other side of the park, where she instantly began playing in the sandbox with Noah, while Olivia met up with the officer, keeping an eye on the other boy in the sandbox, as he played by himself. Less than five minutes later, Olivia was walking over, taking Noah's hand, "Hey, there. I'm Olivia. This is Noah. Where's your mommy? Did she come to the park with you? Or maybe your daddy? Or your grandma? Or your nanny?"

The little boy replied in a foreign language, before shouting "boom," while destroyed the castle he had began making.

"Boom," Olivia laughed along, before crouching down to the child's level, "Is your mama or dada around here? Somewhere in the park?" Silence was her only reply as the boy looked at her, Noah starting to curl closer to him momma, "You know what, come with me," she reached a hand out, "and we'll find your mama and dada, okay? Come here." He started backing away, getting closer to his red backpack, closer to where Annabelle was still sitting on her knees. "It's okay." He reached into his backpack, pulling out a handgun and pointing it towards the lieutenant, "Oh god," she muttered as she situated Noah to be behind her body. "Noah, get down, honey." Annabelle froze, watching, as the other people started moving further away, their voices filling the air. "Sweetie let's put that down, okay?"

The little boy kept moving the gun away, Annabelle slowing stood up as a uniformed officer came up, gun out, "Lieutenant?"

Olivia waved him off, standing up herself, "It's okay, Officer Nolan, I've got this." She revealed her badge to the crowd, watching and in some cases taking photos on their phones, "Okay, everyone, I'm gonna ask you to step back," she raised her badge higher so that they could see it, before addressing the boy again, "It's okay, look. Look," she dropped her badge, allowing him to see her hands were empty, "I'm not going to hurt ya. Can you put that down, honey? Just put that down."

Annabelle had slowly made her way to Officer Nolan, shifting closer to her friend, eyes not leaving the gun as she lower herself closer to the ground as she whispered, "Noah. Noah," once his attention was on her, she took a couple of small steps forward, alternating looking between the two little boys, "come here. Quickly." She caught Liv's eyes shifting to her slightly, before focusing back on the problem at hand. Noah took a few small, quick steps, before the redhead swept him up into her arms, backing away from the scene, keeping his head covered just in case, as Olivia continued reassuring the boy that she wouldn't hurt him, before pouncing and removing the gun from his grasp. She was soon reunited with Noah, who she quickly began to comfort, her eyes finding Annabelle's green ones in silent gratitude.

-xXx-

Once Annabelle made it to her new home, she changed out of her shorts and t-shirt, opting for a pair of soft pink pajama bottoms and a loose grey tank top, before pulling out the stuff to make grilled cheese sandwiches, giving the toddler a late lunch, as he occupied himself with watching Paw Patrol. About two hours later, they two were playing tag in the playroom on the sixth floor, when Rafael found them. "Having fun?"

She stopped, face flushed from their laughter, "Always."

"Wanna play, Rafi?"

Annabelle looked at her husband, smile playing on her pale lips, challenge in her eyes. He smiled at the adopted boy, before slipping his suit jacket from her shoulders, "I can't think of anything else I'd rather do, Noah."

When Olivia came around to pick her son up, an hour later, he was passed out on the living room couch, body covered by a colorful fleece blanket, Annabelle's arms wrapped around him as she snoozed.

-xXx-

Thursday morning brought Annabelle sitting in a booth inside the Parthenon Diner in Queens, dressed in a pair of dark blue straight legged jeans, a white scoop neck tank top, a black short sleeved blazer, and black heels, as she met with two officers in case of a domestic abuse case in the Queens district. After ordering her desired meal of homemade French toast with a side of fresh fruit, she gave a few longing looks towards the two coffees that sit half empty across the table from her, before giving a small sigh and picking up her apple juice, sipping from the straw.

"I heard you drank more coffee that most cops?"

She gave a tiny smile towards Officer Lee, picking at her discarded straw wrapper, "I'm trying to cut back. Doctor's orders. It's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be." The female officer gave a short laugh, before moving back slightly as their orders were being brought towards the table, which led them to becoming silent again as they took a few minutes to just eat their breakfasts. "What've you got for me?"

"They told me you were no non-sense," the male officer drew the manila folder from its former place out of the redhead's sight, which she opened almost immediately after she took another bite of her crispy breakfast, almost moaning in delight as the syrupy goodness hit her taste buds. Her eyes didn't leave the documents as he continued to explain what they knew, "She came into work with a black eye about a week ago, and her boss called us when he noticed that she had limited mobility in her right arm," her eyes focused in on the x-rays showcasing a badly fractured forearm, nodding along as she kept going, "she originally denied it, but disclosed two days later after she had a bad spill down the front steps of her house."

"He said, she said?" Officer Lee gave a sound of confirmation, as she chewed a mouthful of fried egg. "I'm guessing you want any viable proof I can give you? Including if I can somehow get evidence of the abuse occurring." Spearing a dark, round grape with her fork, she stared at it momentarily, "when do you need it?" Popping the fruit into her mouth, she waited for an answer.

"Within a week. She's afraid it'll escalade when we question him, so we want everything we can get our hands on before we make an official arrest."

Slipping the folder into her oversized purse, she took her last couple bites of French toast, "I'll get to work on this as soon as I get into the office." Puling out her work card, she handed it to the waitress the moment she dropped the check off at the table, smiling at the two officers, "It's on the boss. Business meeting and such."

-xXx-

Annabelle jumped when the light background music she was playing ended abruptly as her phone began to ring in a blaring tone. "Barba."

"Hey, Anna. Are you busy today?"

"I'm at work, but nothing too important that I can't take a break. What's up?"

"Lucy had to go to class, and I now have Noah, but if you're busy, I can just call someone else."

"Not at all. I can work from home. When and where do you want me to get him?"

"Whenever you can would be wonderful. He's in my office right now, and I'm not sure when I'll have to run out of here."

She began closing down the windows she had opened, saving whatever data she was working on, "Okay. I'm on my way. I'm taking you still haven't found anything out about gun boy?"

Olivia sighed across the line, "unfortunately, we've found so much more than we expected. That's why I need to make sure Noah is taken care of."

"Leaving right now. I'll see you in twenty," she flipped the light off in her office, as she hung up the phone, before walking towards David's office, where the blue jean clad man was lounging with his feet on his desk, tossing a small rubber ball into the air. "Hey, David. I just wanted to let you know I'm gonna work from home for the rest of the day."

His feet get the ground with a small sound, "everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just not feeling too great, and I've gotta run by the SVU precinct, so I figured it'd be easier if I just worked from home."

"Okay," he ran one of his hands up and down her arm, "Call me if you need anything, alright?" She nodded and turned to leave after giving him a small smile. "Feel better, Annabelle."

The redhead typed a quick email out to her team while she rode the elevator down to the lobby, letting them know that they should call her if they had any breakthroughs, before slipping the band from around her wrist and tossing her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head, as she stepped out into the windy day, quickly hailing a taxi.

She unbuttoned her blazer the moment she closed the door to the yellow car, making her way into the familiar precinct, smiling at the officer stationed at the front desk when she passed. Her feet felt swollen from her heels, but she couldn't ignore the fact that Chief Dodds was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by a couple of officers that looked like rookies, extremely annoyed if his facial expression was anything to go by. "William," he looked up as she came closer, they pair sharing a brief embrace, "how are you doing?" Her question was quiet, knowing that he probably didn't want anyone to really know if he was still grieving or not.

"I've been better," his hands braced her shoulders, "What are you doing here?"

She smiled, glancing towards Olivia's office, seeing only the little boy on his tablet, "Noah pick up."

"Ah, yes. Lieutenant Benson went out with the remaining members of her team to check on a lead. I'd love to chat, but I've got a meeting with the board, but make yourself comfortable in her office." She nodded, giving him another smile before she gave a gentle squeeze to his hand, and making her way to the toddler.

"Hello, darling."

"Anna!" She grinned, accepting the little boy as he flew into her arms, tablet lay forgotten on the couch. "I missed you," his words were slightly muffled due to his face being against her neck.

"I miss you, too, angel." She released him, allowing the child to move back to his previous seat, "What are we doing?"

"Paw Parol."

"Oh, really?" She settled herself next to him on the cushion, "I love Paw Patrol!"

"I know," he answered, matter of factly, before pressing play and allowing the show to continue where it had left off.

-xXx-

"Mass casualty event." She froze momentarily, as she heard those words echo from the full squad room, before standing up and opening the door wide enough for her to exit, her body blending in with those of the other forces on hand for the search.

"NYPD will coordinate with JTTF, state police, and of course, the FBI. We're all in on this. Round the clock shifts, until this crisis is resolved." When Olivia finished speaking, Annabelle investigated the other room, to check on Noah, before walking towards the woman and William Dodds, who were having a private conversation.

She held back, as the squad approached before being sent away, allowing her to move forward again, "Hey."

"Anna. Thank you so much for taking him for a bit."

"That's what I was coming to talk to you about. I know that you're going to be busy until this is handled, so if you want, he can stay with us? I can work from home, and he'll be good to go."

"I can't ask that of you."

"I'm offering."

"Thank you," she motioned for the officer who called her name to wait a minute before leading the redhead back to the almost vacant office, where she told her son goodbye and that she'd call him before bedtime.

-xXx-

"Barba."

"You sound way too much like your husband."

"Shut up, Sonny. What do ya want?"

"I need you to unlock a phone. It's got a cracked screen, and no one can get into it."

"Sure, gimme the number." She kept him on speaker, grabbing her laptop from its bag, and taking it into the den, where she set it upon the glass table top, typing the moment he rattled off the number. It took less that two minutes for her desired results to appear, "the phone belongs to Armin Sidran, who also," she trailed off as she typed in a few more words, "Pays rent to two places in New York, one of which is rented to Luka Terzik. Terzik apparently, has no money and very little history, although he is an American citizen. I have no educational history or job background. Nothing."

"Okay, keep digging, if you can."

"Will do. Be careful." The phone clicked off, leaving her in silence once more. Checking on Noah once more, she went up to the third floor of their house, changing out of her work clothing and into another set of pajamas, knowing that she wouldn't be leaving again until tomorrow, before going back to her computer, this time in one of the over sized chairs inside the living room. "Oh crap." She dialed Sonny's number back as quickly as she could, standing up and walking towards the den.

He answered after four rings, "It's been forty-five minutes. What've you got?"

"I think he's a terrorist. But, I can't find him. Like, he's hidden. He's hidden really well."

"Okay. We assumed that when we found the stash of weapons inside his apartment. I need something that'll help us stop him."

She bit her lip, questioning herself, "Alright. I'm going to call Rafael and see if he can get a warrant. I can't hack this…even with my work access. I'm at a dead end." She sighed, "I'll call you back in a few minutes." She hung up before he replied. Dialing her husband's number, she didn't even wait for him to say hello before she started off, "I need you to get a warrant."

"Why?"

"Because whoever this Luka guy is smarter than me. I can't find him, and I can't hack into his phone. It's locked good enough that I can't break it."

"How exactly do you think I'm going to convince a judge to give an order for a phone hack? There are cases where there are actual victims where judges hesitate to provide warrants."

"This isn't a case where there is a victim. This is something that can be prevented, if, and only if, we can find this asshole." She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, fingers tangling in the strands, "This guy didn't back up anything, okay? His cloud is completely empty."

"I thought everything automatically went into the cloud?"

"Yeah, unless you make it, so they don't." Giving a sigh, she looked over at a still sleeping Noah, "Nothing has ever blocked me like this. I feel like this guy is really bad news."

"Okay, cariño, I'll get it done."

"Thank you. Te quiero."

"I love you, too."

-xXx-

It took three hours, and an overly energetic Noah being sent to the playroom before she smirked in satisfaction, as the cameras gave her what she wanted.

She was quick to dial Carisi's number, who sounded as if he was back at the precinct when he answered, "Carisi."

"Hey, I got him."

"What?"

"I hacked the traffic cams around the city, and put in filters for Luka and or Ana, based on the two photographs you get me. They entered into Central Park from West 72nd street about twenty minutes ago. Both of them are carrying shoulder bags, she's keeping her head down, like she's trying to avoid the cameras."

"Are you sure?"

"97.6 percent."

"Thanks, Belle." He hung up the phone, but not before she heard him calling out the lieutenant's name.

 **Shots were fired in Central Park today, around 4:30 this afternoon. Shots fired in Central Park. One has been declared deceased upon arrival at a New York hospital. Four others were wounded during the shooting, two are currently in critical condition.**

"Oh my gosh," Annabelle's eyes widened as she listened to the reporter discuss the attack, along with blurry phone videos to back up what occurred in the aftermath of the shooting.

Raf: You hungry?

Annabelle Stevens: What did you have in mind?

Raf: You, me, my office.

Annabelle Stevens: I have a three-year-old.

Raf: For lunch. We just indicted the female on murder and terrorism. I have a feeling I'm going to be too busy to sleep soon.

Annabelle Stevens: I'll see you in thirty.

Taking the elevator up, she quickly through on a pair of skinny jeans and a light blue button up shirt, along with her white converse. After tossing a grey knit beanie atop her curls, she found Noah still happily playing three floors up, so thankful that she had installed cameras on the main floors of the house, knowing that she wouldn't have be able to let him play on his own otherwise. "Hey, sweetheart. Wanna go have lunch with Raf?"

"Yeah!" Taking note of how his jeans and t-shirt still being clean, she grabbed his little green hoodie from his bag, zipping it up part of the way, as it was still a pretty windy day. Less than twenty minutes later, the pair was meeting Rafael outside of One Hogan Place, "Rafi!" The dark-haired boy released his grip on the woman's hand, and ran towards the ADA, who easily picked him up under the arms and settled him on his suit clad hip.

"Mr. Barba! Can you tell us if the defendant is part of an organized terrorist group?" Annabelle placed a comforting hand on the toddler's back as he burrowed his head deeper into Rafael's neck, as the reporters surrounded the trio.

Instead of stopping like usual, the ADA spoke as he walked, refusing to give into their pleas today, "The investigation is ongoing. The NYPD, the FBI, and JTTF are working together to collect all pertinent information. Look," he turned to face the vultures, handing Noah off to his wife, as the small Benson reached for her, "right now all we know is that a decorated New York City Police Officer with three children was killed, and four other citizens were shot and critically wounded. Regardless of the defendant's motivation or affiliations, what this woman did is called murder in the state of New York. Thank you." He turned, leaving the group behind as he placed a gentle hand on his wife's lower back, helping to guild her towards their destination. "Want to text Liv and see if she wants to join us?"

"My phone is in my bag." He nodded pulling his out from his pocket, her eyes catching on of the most recent texts, "You still have me in your phone as Stevens?"

"What?" He looked at her, before looking back down at the screen, "Oh, I guess I do." She merely raised an eyebrow, giving him a small smirk, "I should probably change that."

Olivia showed up not too long after they ordered their food, prompting a loud mama from Noah and a huge smile making an appearance on Olivia's face at the sight of her adopted son. "I ordered you a BLT and fries. I hope that's okay?"

"Sounds perfect. I wish I could stay longer." Annabelle watched as the mother and child sat close together, obviously having missed each other over the past two days. When their meals arrived, Noah was quick to reach his paws towards the macaroni and cheese, only to be intercepted by his mother with a spoon, who expertly stuck a fry into her mouth at the same time. The redhead could only wrinkle her nose in disgust as she watched a bit of blood leak out when her husband cut into his steak, turning her head to instead stare at her sweet corn and truffle ravioli. She forced herself to hold back a moan of delight when she bit into the first wonderfully delicious square, the pecorino cheese coating her tongue.

-xXx-

October 17th brought sunny skies and an ADA who had drank three cups of coffee before he had even left the new townhouse. A couple hours later, Annabelle appeared in the same office wearing a pair of black tights underneath a flowing, thigh high dark grey skirt, a dark purple, silky button up shirt, and a pair of shiny black heels from the same designer that created the purse she was carrying. A pair of simple black hoops decorated her ears "Coffee?"

"No, thanks." She watched as he polished off another cup, "how many have you had?"

"I lost count an hour ago."

"Rafael. Enough with the coffee. You've got this. Stop worrying, babe."

"I'm not worried."

She raised a single eyebrow, "you stayed up half the night reviewing your notes," she gave him a smile, caressing the part of his forearm revealed by his currently rolled up sleeves, "you only do that when you're nervous about a case. Do I need to distract you?"

"I'd like nothing more than for you to do that, but, I have to be in court in fifteen minutes." He ran a tanned hand over her knee and slightly up her skirt to grasp her thigh, "I'd rather take my time with you, tonight." She shuddered as his finger skimmed her underwear, frowning when he pulled away, "Let's get this over with."

She groaned in frustration, "I hate you. So much."

He brought her in for a kiss, "I love you, too. Now, come be my good luck charm."

She settled onto one of the dark wooden benches in the gallery of the courtroom as the trial officially began, "People versus Ana Kapic. One count murder in the first degree, four counts attempted murder. How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty, Your Honor," the only other redhead in the room spoke.

"Mr. Barba, bail?"

"Given the gravity of the charges and her possible connections to organized terrorists' groups, we request remand." She pinched herself in the arm, feeling a blush draw onto her cheeks as she realized how turned on she was, just by hearing him speak. "She's a Bosnian national here on a student visa. She has no significant ties to the community and represents a major flight risk."

"Ms. Calhoun?"

"Despite Mr. Barba's impassioned, patriotic, and xenophobic speech…"

"Get to it." Annabelle smirked at the judge's words.

"We believe the defendant should be released on her own recognizance."

"For free?" Calhoun's silence created a gallery full of murmurs. "May I ask why you believe that would be appropriate?"

"Because Ana Kapic is a victim. She was raped and tortured hours before the homicide by her fiancée and his brother. She may have been present at the crime scene, but she was not there under her own free will. If she didn't cooperate, she herself would have been murdered."

During Rita's speech, Rafael shared looks with both her and Olivia, before the younger woman leaned in to the lieutenant, "what the hell does that mean?" Olivia merely shrugged.

-xXx-

Annabelle sat on one of white barstools, a country song gracing her ears, as she alternated between typing away at her laptop and jotting notes down in the spiral notebook that sat atop the white and grey marble of kitchen island. Standing up, she stretched, popping her back, before tugging on the yellow tank top to prevent it from riding up anymore than it had during her small stretch. Walking to the blacktopped stove, she did a quick stir to the bowtie pasta, before lifting it to drain and mixing in the Cajun spices and diced up chicken. "Siri set time for ten minutes." Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, she plopped her black and yellow Batman clad backside into its previous seat.

"Do you really not have pants on?"

She looked towards the front hallway at the voice, giving her husband a smile as he sat his briefcase down on the light wooden floor. "You look incredibly handsome today," and he did in his tan suit. He had paired it with a white, blue, and tan pin striped shirt and a dark blue tie, allowing her eyes to roam over his cloth covered chest, she knew that his suspenders most likely matched as well. He didn't respond, instead choosing to make his way to the closest cabinet. "Tough day?" He merely shot her a look, his lips pressed together thinly as his whiskey filled tumbler rose towards his mouth. "Okay, then." Silencing her alarm, she approached the stove, her bare hip grazing his, as she reached to drop the cut-up broccoli into the creamy white pasta. "It'll be ready in about five minutes," she stirred the Cajun alfredo once more before replacing the lid and allowing it to simmer, going back to the island and setting the timer manually.

"Why didn't you already have it ready?" She turned her head, not changing her body's position, bent over the island, to look at him in slight confusion. "Dinner. Why didn't you have it ready?"

Sliding her notebook to lay in front of her, she scribbled a few words down for her current case, not looking up, "Maybe because it's 6 o'clock. You haven't been getting home til 8. Or even 9. This case is dragging you through the ground."

"You know nothing about this case."

The anger in his word made her pause, before she turned to face him, "I know nothing? I knew about it before you did, Rafael. They called me first, remember?"

"A lot of good that did," he scoffed.

"Excuse me?" He opened his mouth to reply, but she continued, eyes blazing, "I help when I'm asked. Maybe if you would have worked harder against the phone company, the case would already be over." Biting her lip in frustration, she jammed her finger against the glass of her phone when the beeps started, "Your dinner's ready. Enjoy."

As she began stalking from the room, his eyes narrowed, "Where are you going, Annabelle?"

"Away from you." Slamming his now only ice filled glass onto the counter top, he turned, reaching out for her. "Let me go." His tan hand encircled her wrist in a semi loose grip, glaring into his hazel green eyes, "Rafael Barba," her next words were cut off as his lips descended onto hers in a harsh kiss. She knew she shouldn't give in so easily, but couldn't resist wrapping her arms about him, her fingers grazing the little dark brown hairs at the back of his neck.

His left hand snaked his way into her boy shorts, fingers quickly finding her clit and rubbing it fast and hard. Shudders ran up her spine, and she couldn't stop her body from arching into his hand. "Tell me to stop." She knew it was a request that she couldn't agree to, her lips biting down on the exposed skin of his neck. Letting out a deep chuckle, his finger slipped down before plunging into her soaked entrance.

"Fuck!" As his lips found a weak spot on her shoulder, her legs gave out, only his bruising grip keeping her upright. A load moan escaped her pale lips as the coil in her stomach burst and she ground down against his hand the best she could, causing Rafael to moan against her skin. Yanking his fingers out, he shoved her underwear down to the wooden floor. The sound of his belt being unbuckled met her ears as they unconsciously moved closer to the island, only stopping when her back hit the marble, so hard that she cringed, before dropping to her knees in front of her husband of five months. Her hand pulled at his tight underwear, allowing his cock to be revealed, slightly bobbing in her face, pre-cum already dripping from the little slit at the top. Licking her lips, she swirled her tongue over the tip, as her hand moved.

Gaining confidence in the thrusts that Rafael was trying to stop from occurring, she sunk down deeper on his large member, going until he hit the back of her throat, causing her to gag slightly, his moan pairing with his hand tangling into the strands at the top of her head. Her heart was pounding as his heavy pants reaching her ears, even over the music still playing in the background. With a load moan, he pulled on her hair, "Stop," she pulled away, looking between the hardened member and his face in slight confusion, "I want to be inside you when I come." She rose from her knees, gasping when he roughly turned her around and pressing on her back. She moaned as her hardened nipples met the cold island top, through her thin top combined with his cock pressing lightly on her slick folds. "Mierda. Condom."

She reached behind her, grasping his hand, "We're good. Please," she was breathless, pleading with her body. A loud whimper escaped her swollen lips when he thrust in deeply and began hammering into her body so powerfully that her nipples were aching from the friction created on the marble. "Oh, Raf. Fuck."

"You're so wet, I'd probably drown if I ate you out right now." The mental image of him planting her on top of the island and using his talented tongue, had her moaning even louder than before. "You'd like that, huh? My tongue licking your clit and fingering you until you can't come anymore." His voice wavered, as if he was just as close to coming as she was. His breath catching as he pounded into her tightness relentlessly.

"Oh, God." She did her best to move with him, feeling her walls tightening up, but he wouldn't allow her much freedom, his fingers holding her hips demandingly as he pounded into her. She snapped, coming so hard and fast that she felt as if she couldn't breathe as her senses went into overdrive. Rafael moaned, his stubble burning her skin as his teeth buried into her shoulder as his come flooded into her core. Their bodies stilled and went silent, the only sound coming from Annabelle's laptop as Jason Aldean crooned a love song.

She shuddered, whimpering at the feeling, when he slowly pulled his softening member from her body, their mixed fluids slowly leaking out. "I love you."

She laughed, breathlessly, "I love you, too, Rafael." She cringed when she felt the slickness on her thighs as she accepted her underwear from its place dangling from his fingertips. "I'm going to get cleaned up."

The Cuban smirked, eyes slowly locking onto her thighs, "I'll get our plates ready. Wine?"

She shook her head slightly, "I've got my water still." She leaned into his chest as his hand reached out to caress her backside before he moved away to grab their plates, his pants already back in their proper place.

-xXx-

"Olivia? Hey, you know that information you wanted me to find you?" She took a drink of her Pepsi as the lieutenant replied in her ear, "Yeah, well I found something. It isn't much, but I'd rather not send it through anything that could corrupt it." Sitting the laptop gently on Rafael's side of the bed, she left the warmth of her comforter, "Yeah, I'm home all day." After hanging up with the officer, she threw on a pair of soft grey, knit shorts and a light pink shirt, before grabbing her laptop, afraid of her evidence disappearing if she even closed the lid.

Once she exited the elevator, she sat the laptop on the counter, blushing as she thought of what occurred on it two days previously, before grabbing three containers from the refrigerator. Once she had made half a dozen waffles, she sliced up the strawberries and kiwis before covering her waffles with the two fruits, as well as the blackberries and adding powered sugar to the concoction. Grabbing the store-bought syrup, she drizzled in over the plate before parking herself at the counter to eat her brunch. She was finishing up, just as the doorbell rang, announcing the presence of the SVU lieutenant. "Hey, Liv. Want some waffles?"

"You cooked for me?"

Noting the older woman's smile, she explained, "When you want waffles, you want waffles," laughter followed, "I always make too much batter, so there are always a ton left over. Plus, I have fruit. So, it's totally healthy."

They entered the kitchen and Olivia laughed, "Yeah. Powered sugar and syrup just scream healthy."

"Bite me," she grabbed her plate and sat it in the sink before reaching up to open the cabinet door, "Here's a plate…there is more fru—"

"What happened to you?"

She turned to look at her friend in confusion, "Huh?"

"You have bruises on your waist." Annabelle flushed, yanking her shirt down to cover the finger shaped marks, only to reveal the bruising bite mark. "Did Barba do that?"

Realizing the tone being used, Annabelle took a deep breath before smiling, "calm down. It was…consensual."

"Annabelle. Do not cover for him, if he -"

"I'm not. Liv, he wouldn't hurt me, and I'm kinda shocked that you would even think that was a possibility."

"I wouldn't have, but…" she gestured to the blackened skin on the college graduate, but accepting the waffle covered plate.

"We're good. I get it, but that is definitely something you'll never have to worry about, okay?" Shaking her head, her ponytail trailing slightly she popped another slice of strawberry into her already red tinted lips. "Okay, so I found this video. I went deeper into the crevices of the cloud, and found…well, it's only about 15 seconds, so it isn't enough to absolutely prove rape, but it definitely hints at it."

Twenty minutes later, the lieutenant was leaving the building, stomach full and mind swirling after watching the corrupted video clip, "Hey, Liv?" The older brunette stopped as she was going down the steps to look back at the woman standing in the doorway, "Can you not tell Rafael until you absolutely have to?" At the confusion entering Olivia's eyes she elaborated, "I know the DA and William both want Ana to be seen as nothing more than a murderer and terrorist, but she is a victim. I just don't want him to know that I kept looking into things about the situation…I kind of told him I stopped once the arrest was made."

Five hours later, she was in the gym, doing a light workout on the treadmill when she heard a door slam. "Annabelle!" Sighing at whatever put her husband in a bad mood, she flipped the machine off and walked from the room, using a small white hand towel to wipe her face as she made the trek down the stairs towards the bedroom, knowing that he would be getting out of his work clothing.

"Hi, Raf."

"Hi? Is that all you have to say to me?" He was standing in front of the bed, his jacket and tie discarded, arms crossed as he stared at his wife. She didn't answer. "You don't have anything to tell me? At all?" She shrugged but gave a little shake of her head. "Okay, how about the fact that you promised me that you were done with this terroristic case? And that you said you weren't going to dig anymore into anything?"

"Oh."

"Oh?" He took a deep breath before ripping his suspenders from his body and starting the process to unbutton his dress shirt, no longer looking in her direction, "Why do you continue to work against me? I get that your job includes helping the NYPD, but when we make a decision about your involvement in something that is not," he released a breath, "something that could cause harm to come to you. I expect you to stick with what we agree on. Not to go behind my back and work with Benson to find out if a possible terrorist raped another terrorist. Did you ever stop to think that if you were tracking them, that they could just as easily be tracking you?" His shirt was thrown onto the bed in a huff, his bare back greeting her eyes as he began to roughly yank at his belt, the movement in his shoulder signifying that he was about to begin speaking again.

She stepped forward, pressing a brief kiss against his tightened shoulder blade, "I'm sorry." Grasping his hand, she brought it to her mouth, lips softly grazing his palm, "she asked me to check if anything new came up, only if I had time. I was giving it a final look through, before considering it closed when I found the video." She removed the belt from his pants, laying it on top of the jacket, but sliding the dark blue material down his legs and crouching down to take off his shoes. She patted his leg, and he stepped from the dress pants, before dropping to the king-sized bed in just his underwear. She plopped down next to him, hand resting on his dark thigh, "The video was corrupted, so I didn't think it would hold u in court. So, I didn't call you. I asked her not to mention me helping, because I knew you were worried. I'm sorry," her lips nipped at his neck, and she could tell he was struggling to stay angry.

Teeth tugged on an ear lobe, before she felt the heat of his breath rush against the cotton of her pink shirt, "It's okay. I know you're trying to help." She planted herself back onto the bed, his hand entwined in hers, "It got me a court date against the company to unlock the phone. If we win, they'll appeal, but I'll do my best."

"You're best is phenomenal. You fight for what you believe in, and you're an amazing lawyer. Not to mention, incredibly sexy."

His laughter met her ears, because he pulled her from the bed, "get dressed. I'm taking you out."


	22. Pool Parties & Fundraisers

Hey lovelies, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit more of a filler, but I can't always be letting Annabelle get involved in dangerous situations, now can I? Let me know what you think!

Pool Parties & Fundraisers

"You sure you want to do this?" Annabelle smiled, looking at Rafael from where she sat beside him at their kitchen island. "Because there is no shame in deciding to be a silent supporter."

She sat her fork down, content on ignoring her scrambled eggs, as she turned her body to face him, left arm propped up on the bar, "Okay, what's the issue?" Rafael shook his head slightly in denial, which caused his wife to smirk in amusement, "Raf, come on. I know you. You've been talking about the rape kit backlog for months. Why don't you want me to advocate for it?"

He sighed, before taking a long drink of his coffee, "I'm being stupid, aren't I? You should do it. I know you'll be fantastic." At the look still plastered on her face, he gave in, "Fine. Liv said Alex is trying to come back up into the community's good graces. He and Yelina are fundraising supporters."

The redhead grimaced, understanding Rafael's position, squeezed his pajama-clad thigh, "you have nada to worry about. I've got this." She took a bite of egg, frowning before going to the fridge and grabbing the bottle of tobassco sitting innocently in the door, "Now, lets plan the party. I've already invited the important people – your family, my family, the squad. As, what?"

She cut off as she realized he had stopped eating and just watching her. His eyes shifted to the bottle next to her plate, "since when do you eat tobassco?"

She paused, before looking down at her now red eggs before shrugging, "I didn't even notice. It just sounded good. Anyway, as I have no friends, is there anyone else you wanna invite?"

"I'm good with the regular group."

"Good. Now, I was thinking…pool party." She held up a hand to stop any protests, "before you say it, you are not old. Plus, a pool party would let everyone let loose. Pizza. Beer."

"Alright."

"Awesome. Cause I really want a pool party before I'm too fat for a bikini."

"Why would you be too fat?" He looked up and down her body, as if it could change shape at any moment.

"Oh. Uh, you know…I've been eating too much lately, and not getting to work out too often cause of work. I'll get fat."

He kissed her lips, "no, you won't." Leading her off the stool, he lightly smacked her short clad bottom, "go let everyone know about the pool. I'll do the dishes." With a smile, she padded towards the elevator.

-xXx-

Long legs sat propped atop the glass desktop, dark purple painted toenails reflected in the light, as the grey heels had been abandoned hours ago, as Annabelle looked from notebook to desktop. A knock at her door, caused her to jump slightly, lowering her legs once she noticed who was at the door, "hi, David."

"Hey. How's that report going?"

"Almost finished. Just double checking the numbers and then its coming to you."

"Alright. Sounds," he got o the door as he was leaving, "oh," he snapped his fingers as a thought came to mind, "what's on your agenda tomorrow?"

"Uhm," she flipped the pages of her agenda, "I have three meetings are SVU about different cases. Then picking my family up from the airport."

"Okay. Have a good party," he gave her his usual warm smile as he walked back towards his office. It wasn't until she was leaving for the day that she questioned how he knew about the party.

Looking down at her outfit as she stepped from the taxi, she adjusted her purple scoop next top over her straight legged dark jeans, mentally crying at the pain radiating from her now heel clad feet. She smiled at Carmen's temporary replacement as she walked into the office, heading straight towards her husband's office. "Can I help you?"

She paused, at the blonde's question, the tone used by the currently university student making the older woman take a deep breath. "I have an appointment with him."

"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll call and let him know you're here." Annabelle raised a single eyebrow, her body language shouting how unamused she was during this conversation. "What's your name, ma'am?"

"Annabelle," her shining lips forming a smirk, "Barba." She sat primly in one of the leather chairs, "Please, let my husband know I'm waiting." The student stared at Annabelle, an undescrible expression on her face, before she slowly picked up the black receiver to connect to Rafael's office.

It was less than ten seconds after she spoke that the door was opened, and her husband came strolling out, looking at the shoes dangling from Annabelle's fingertips, as she walked towards him. "Anytime she comes to this office, let her in immediately, unless one of us tells you otherwise at that moment." The meek reply forced Annabelle to contain her laughter. It wasn't until the door had been shut once more that Rafael smiled at his wife, "rough day?"

She lightly rolled her eyes, before plopping down onto his couch, "My feet are killing me, and I feel like I haven't eaten all day…little miss intern was about to get punched."

"That sounds dramatic." She narrowed her eyes, causing him to chuckle, "I can't do much about your shoes, but I can fix your stomach. Chinese?"

She groaned, her head falling back to make her stare at the ceiling, "Please." Fifteen minutes and a foot rub later, small white containers were stacked upon the table, as the couple happily ate their fill of Sweet and Sour Chicken, Moo Shu Pork, and Wonton Soup. "What am I doing on Monday? And why didn't we do prep at home…where I could be naked?" Rafael coughed around the bite of chicken he had just taken, causing his wife to giggle, "Kidding…mostly."

"I figured having an actual meeting today would help to get you to the airport on time."

She nodded sipping from her water bottle, "it works, but after this I have to head over to the precinct before I can even think of airplanes," she took another large bite of the red coated chicken, "Ugh. This is just so freakin' good."

Rafael smiled, swiping at her bottle lip with this thumb, "I can tell," she saw the red sauce on his finger before he slipped the digit in his mouth. "Monday, you're just gonna answer how you found the video on his phone, including the warrant. Basically, that's it."

She smiled, "simple and gets me another work from home day. Sounds perfect to me," she handed the Cuban the second fortune cookie. "Love because it is the only true adventure," she slid the small slip of paper into her jean pocket. "For our book. It's cute. Leave me alone. What does yours say?"

"Soon you will be greeted with a new bundle of joy."

Annabelle gave a small laugh, nicking it from his hands and slipping it to join its partner in her pocket, "now we'll know the future if someone brings you a bundle of papers that make you incredibly happy." Picking the trash up, she gave her husband a parting smack before making her way to the precinct.

-xXx-

Annabelle laughed, watching the three kids jump into a large pool of marshmallows inside the building of Candytopia. Out of her entire family, the only ones who accepted her invitation were Jake, Jessie, and her parents, so she had taken the four kids, while her older siblings took their spouses to explore the city a bit. Louise was giggling with her four-year sister, Imogen, and her six-year-old cousin, Jacob, as the six-month-old baby girl gurgled in Annabelle's arms. "Aunt Anna, get in!"

She stood at the side, tossing a large white puff towards Louise who laughed, ducking down deeper into the pit, causing the marshmallow to smack Jacob in the face, "hey!"

Annabelle giggled, "Sorry, Jay." She stuck her tongue out at her oldest niece when she reappeared, "I've got Amelia, so I can't play very rough."

"I'll hold her, so you can get in, Aunt Anna." She stared at the little boy, before slowly putting the blue-eyed baby girl into his arms, keeping an eye on them as she climbed the four steps before slowly dropping into the pool.

She watched as the other three kids tossed the fluffy pieces towards each other as she let Amelia sit atop the pit with her lower half being surrounded in the treat, sputtering with the babbling child tossed one, hitting her directly in the mouth, resulting in laughter from the other three occupants. They went through the rainbow hallway that had all the kids gasping as the lights changed colors, looking at candy trees and trying to squish the taxi. Each of the of them had their photos taken inside the large candy bull shark's open mouth. The oldest three got to swing in the yellow hammocks, before tossing giant bubble gum looking balls at each other in the cloud room. After the clock room, where they each received a round chocolate candy, they entered the Trolli room, where a mixture of edible confetti and sprinkles rained down upon them, causing Annabelle to snap photos as the four, five, and six-year-old all tried to catch the falling pieces in their mouths.

Afterwards the college graduate bought one of the photographs that the overhead camera had taken of the group when they laid in the center of the rainbow Trolli circle, sprinkles all around them, which she quickly posted to Instagram with the caption, "A room full of candy and confetti…so this is what Willy Wonka dreamed of most." After buying the children more candy than they probably needed, she took them to back towards Chelsea for lunch at the Melt Shop, where they specialized in grilled cheese. Once they were all settled into the booth, "So, what are we wanting today?"

"Cheese!" "Bacon!" "Ice Cream!" She grinned at the answers she received, before asking what kind of shakes everyone wanted for their drinks. Ten minutes later Louise and Imogen had strawberry shakes and classic grilled cheeses in front of them, while Jacob was slurping his vanilla shake before deciding that a giant bite of his maple bacon grilled cheese was more important. The trio was sharing a pile of tater tots doused in the homemade cheese sauce, while Annabelle stared down at her own bowl of homemade tomato soup and her truffle melt grilled cheese, grabbing a few tater tots to begin cooling as she sat one atop the highchair Amelia had settled into, her sippy cup of juice shaking each time she hit the top of her little table. Cutting up a portion of her sandwich for the six-month-old, she finally began to eat her own dinner after taking a large gulp of her own chocolate truffle shake.

-xXx-

Annabelle groaned as the smell of the freshly delivered pizza wafted into her direction, instantly darting towards the bathroom that sat five feet away, the door slamming shut behind her as she fell to her knees. Afterwards, she rinsed her mouth out and flicked the light off as she exited, only to stop as Jake stood before her, arms crossed over his chest. "Anything you want to reveal to the family?"

She looked around, seeing that they were alone, before smile sheepishly, "I'm pregnant."

His stern look instantly turned into a smile as he moved forward, wrapping his arms around her bare shoulders, "Congratulations, little sister."

A breath of relief escaped from her mouth as she relaxed in his embrace, "Thanks," she paused, inhaling the scent of his cologne, "oh gosh, it feels good to tell someone."

"Ya'll haven't told anyone?"

"I haven't told him."

He pulled back, hands still on her shoulders, "You haven't told Rafael?" She bit her bottom lip, shaking her head, "Why not, Annabelle? How far along are you?"

"Almost three months," she looked towards the empty doorway, "I don't know. I just keep backing out every time I try. I figured I would tonight after the party was over."

"Tell him." He kissed her forehead, before pulling her into another tight hug, "I am so proud of you," she smiled at him again, pulling away as the elevator dinged, announcing the arrival of guests.

The next hour consisted of Annabelle doing her best to stay as far away from the pizza as possible, as the entire party devoured ten large pies. She looked over to Rafael as he came to join her leaning against the island, plate in hand, "why aren't you eating?" His voice was quiet, probably knowing that she didn't want attention to be drawn to her or her eating habits, he frowned when she only answered with a shrug. "You feeling okay? Want me to get you something else?"

She smiled at him, shaking her head, "No, I'm good. I'm not really hungry right now." He gave her a nod of understanding, gracefully intercepting Noah as he darted in their direction. As the guests began trickling down the stairs to the pool area, Annabelle joined them, turning on the music when she made it into the downstairs room, knowing that pure silence would be a good way to kill the party, she flicked the lights on in the old wine cellar, as it had been transformed into an arcade of sorts. Slipping her strapless blue dress from around her body to reveal her purple halter topped bikini and mermaid style high waisted bottoms, she pulled her hair into a tight bun before walking down the side of the pool to sit along one of the benches, watching as her friends and family dove right into the cool water.

Annabelle gave her husband a large grin as he came paddling over with Amelia in his arms. The baby had taken to him like a bee to honey, which led to her being in his arms for most of the night. She slowly lowered herself into the blue water, hissing at the temperature difference, before wrapping an arm around Rafael's waist, planting a kiss to his cheek before giving Amelia an equally loving smooch. "You okay?" She nodded at the question, but he noticed the averting of her eyes. "You sure? You know you can tell me, right?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as her older brother appeared, "alright, Barba…get your own kid." Annabelle shot a glare towards her brother, which was ignored as he gently grabbed Amelia and swam away, leaving the couple alone once more.

Her eyes focused back onto her husband, who was looking at her with a twinkle in his hazel green eyes, "What?"

"Nothing, I just love you."

"I love yo- "her words were cut off as her head dipped into the water, and she came back up sputtering a few seconds later, "Rafael Barba, I'm going to kill you!" His laughter ended when she leapt onto his form, her legs wrapping around his waist, hands upon his shoulders in her attempts to push him under. After the party goers swam for a couple of hours, Annabelle left the pool area with Jake, only to reappear with a large sheet cake with 36 candles lighting the top up in celebration of Rafael's birthday.

-xXx-

Jake: Did you tell him?

Anna: Shut up.

Jake: Tell him.

Anna: Go away.

She sighed, running her hands through her hair, frustration growing when her fingertips got tangled in the now nearly thigh length hair. She zoned back into the conversation going on around the table she sat at, giving a shake of her head when Olivia looked at her in concern. "I propose a benefit dinner. Raise money."

"I'm not sure a night spent partying is a good idea, Mr. Munoz."

Annabelle took a deep breath, hating that she agreed with the pervert, "He's right," another deep breath and her voice came out stronger, "a benefit dinner could work. Say, a thousand dollars per plate. It would allow us to bring donations throughout the night, especially if we set up something during the event for bids to be taken on. Maybe get donations for hotels or places for free stays. A dinner of this magnitude would easily make the news, especially if we could get a few celebrities on board. The donations could go to help end the backlog, as well as possibly be used to create an account to help pay for legal costs of those who need help. We might be able to get lawyers to be willing to be put on a list of those who will work on cases pro bono."

Olivia chimed in with a smile, "we could have speeches throughout the night, too. Bring awareness. Invite a few members of the press for exposure."

The current governor of New York nodded, "Okay. Annabelle, you're in charge of the event." The 26-year-old felt her eyes widen in surprise, before she schooled her expression. "I want everyone on this committee to do something for this…benefit. Get it approved by Annabelle, and she'll bring the event in its entirety to me, once she has everything scheduled."

Annabelle gave a single nod as the other three occupants signaled their agreement. "So, we need donations, celebrities, food, a venue, entertainment, and decorations," the newlywed spoke as she wrote the list on the notebook in front her. "Emma, as stereotypical as this is, you feel like handling the celebrity end? You obviously know more than any of us do."

The _Harry Potter_ star nodded with a smile, "Sure. I can handle the entertainment, as well, if you'd like?"

She smiled, "That would be great. Thank you." She scribbled the actress' name next to the two items, before looking up once more, "Mr. Munoz, will you and your wife be able to handle the food and decorations?" He nodded, "Awesome. Would it be strange if we did maybe a signature drink for the event?"

Olivia was the first to speak, "a couple signature drinks could be a good idea."

"Yeah, and then we could charge a fee for them t—"

"I think an open bar would be a better idea."

"Agreed. An open bar will help loosen pockets for donations," she looked around the room as she spoke, "but by offering a signature drink for a small fee, like $5, would show that we put a lot of thought into the event and I think it would make people more likely to buy it."

"I agree. Annabelle, find us three signature drinks for the night." She bit her lip, nodding at the governor, unsure of how she would accomplish that goal without help from others.

"Okay, so we have guests, entertainment, food, and decorations." She looked back up at the only officer in the room, "Liv, you wanna handle the venue and I'll get the donations?"

"I think you are forgetting the most important part, Miss Stevens," Annabelle didn't bother to correct Alex Munoz as his arrogant tone had been rubbing her the wrong way during the entire meeting, "An event date."

She resisted the urge to glare at his smirking face before turning to face the governor, "Actually, I was going to give that duty to the governor. He does have the busiest schedule out of everyone in this room. No offense, of course."

"Excellent idea, Annabelle. Thank you for considering our schedules." He looked at the device on the table, loudly pecking at it, before looking up with a smile, "December 15th." Annabelle wrote the date on the top of her sheet, circling it a few times, listening as he continued, "It is only the 28th. That will give everyone over a month to get this planned. Spare no expense. After all, we must spend money to make money." He then stood up, silently declaring the two-hour meeting over, as everyone else began to get their things put away to leave he stopped, giving Annabelle a calculating look before throwing a confident grin on his wrinkled face, "as this is your event. I would like for the main speech to be given by you. Good afternoon, everyone." He then walked out of the office space, ignoring the fact that Annabelle had sunk back down into her seat, in disbelief.

-xXx-

"What about the Manhattan Penthouse on 5th. We can get up to 200 guests." She looked over Olivia's shoulder at the floor plans to the building, pointing out the marks on the detailed map of the room, "they also do the majority of their own decorations."

The pair shared a look, "perfect. Click that," she stated pointing at one of the colored bars at the top, which opened a new page to reveal a list of the venue's suggested links, including florists and photographers." She gave a brief hug to the older woman, "you're perfect. Oh, and they have caterers. Guess we didn't need Alex Munoz much after all, did we?" She laughed to herself, pulling up a blank email on her phone and requesting a meeting with the manager of the penthouse. After she went to the view the penthouse a couple of days later, she shot an email off to Alex with the company's menus attached, with the orders to pick two from each list, which would give them six types of hors d'oeuvres, two choices each for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. The menu alone made her want to drown herself in chocolate, which she procured the moment she left the building as she headed into her own office.

A few days later, she was meeting the bartender and Rafael to discuss their three signature drinks, which Brandon had already whipped up for the pair, much to their surprise. "This is our watermelon refresher. It's got strawberry, watermelon, vodka, basil, ginger, and lime." He tall man motioned towards the two glasses on the gleaming wooden bar, "the one on the left is the virgin, while the one on the right has the vodka."

Catching the look Rafael shot her way as he reaches for vodka laced drink, she smiled, "we aren't sure if there are going to be underage guests, so we want to make sure they taste good with and without alcohol."

He nodded, taking a long drink from the green straw, "this is good."

Annabelle nodded her agreement, which Brandon was quick to mirror before gesturing to the next drink, "this is our Caribbean mist. It will not have virgin option, as the blue color comes from the Blue Curacao." The couple raised the turquoise colored liquid towards their mouths, Annabelle taking a small sip, "it has mango rum, pineapple juice, soda water, and as you can see, a sugared rim." When they nodded their approval, he revealed the final drink – a bright green concoction with a cherry for garnish. "this is our Midori Sour, which as midori, sweet and sour mix, sprite, and fresh lime juice. As before the virgin is on the left."

Annabelle hummed in appreciation as she sipped, "I'm pretty sure this is my favorite," after sitting the half-drained virgin cup down she smiled at the two men, "I think we found our drinks."

-xXx-

"What are you doing?" Rafael was standing in the doorway, gazing at his wife who was surrounded by multiple sheets of paper, clearly frustrated.

"Alex freakin' Munoz."

"Excuse me?"

She looked up, giving a slight laugh at the look on his face, "I asked him to pick two things from each menu, and what does he do? Picks a total of one of each category. One! Now, I have to go through and decide on everything, without being able to taste or see the dishes, because Alex has already taste tested the entire menu. Dick."

He settled down beside her, "want some help?" He picked up the sheet with the least amount of writing, "are these his picks?"

She barely glanced at him, "Yeah, emerald shrimp with tomatillo and lime and seared tuna spoons with wasabi and soy." She sighed, "I need two meats and two veggies. Then the actual dinner."

He nodded, "what about steak and olive skewers and green peppercorns? Then maybe the Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce?"

"And mozzarella, melon, and basil skewers. Then tomato bruschetta with garlic and olive oil for the vegetable options?"

"Sounds delicious," he stood up as he started to unbutton his dress shirt, "let me get changed and I'll start dinner, unless you want me to go over the other menus with you?"

"no, that's fine. You're amazing, do I tell you that enough?"

"I love you, too, darling."

She stared at the other parts of the menu, before writing down a choice of soup or salad on the menu's rough draft, going straight to the seafood section of the entrees. "roasted halibut with oriental sauce and pineapple tamarind chutney. Chilean sea bass with orange in butter sauce and balsamic reduction," biting her lip she gazed at the meat section, "how does New York strip steak with cognac and green peppercorns sound?"

"Excellent." He kissed the top of her head as he walked by, "come down when you're ready." Adding a chicken entrée to the list before adding miniature petite fours and chocolate cakes with molten centers to the bottom, piling everything into a stack, she pushed herself from the floor and made her way down the stairs, trying to remember what else was needed for the decorations. She smiled at the garlic wafting towards her, as she entered the kitchen. Rafael was humming as he stirred everything inside the pot on the stove, and it took him a few seconds to realize that he was no longer alone, "get it figured it out?"

"Yeah, now just to put everything together."

He sat a large bowl of stew in front of her, "if anyone can get it done in less than a month, it's you."

-xXx-

Annabelle stared across the island covered in sheets of rainbow paper, each color representing an important aspect of the night. The floor plan was directly in front of her and was the current cause of her frustration. They had 210 total guests to be in attendance, but only enough chairs for 180, not including the organizers. Seeing a place for a head table to be used during weddings, she drew in three circles, hoping that it would work. With the addition of the three tables, it would create a dance floor with tables on three sides and the band area on the fourth. She scribbled on her notes about centerpieces, before grabbing her teal encased phone from the counter top, "Benson."

"Hey, Liv. You busy?"

"Not too much. What's up?"

"Okay. So, I've been researching, and I know purple in the color to support sexual assault survivors. Would it be too much of a stretch to do teal for domestic violence survivors?"

"Possibly. What did you have in mind?"

"Centerpieces. I was thinking to do them in a mixture of purple and red flowers. I found a company, Rebloom, and they take the centerpieces back at the end of the night and resell them. The funds all go to charity, and then we'd get a portion back, which we could funnel into our own charity account."

"I thought Alex was in charge of decorations and food?"

The redhead groaned, "let's not talk about how much he sucks, kay?"

"Instead of red, have you thought about doing different shades of purple?"

"That could be cool. I'll check in on that."

"Do you need my help with anything else? Guests? Food?"

"Emma came through. She got fifty celebrities to RSVP, plus the musicians she contacted all agreed to play at different times throughout the night," she flicked through the guest list sheets, "we've got about twenty-five officers chosen from around the country, our list includes the squad. There are representatives coming from the President and the Vice-President, and the rest is just the public…"

"If they can afford a plate."

Annabelle, "Oh! The last person I was waiting for got back to me. We're auctioning off over $50,000 worth of stuff."

"Jesus. How did you pull that off?"

"I'm a Barba," she smirked.

-xXx-

December 15th dawned sunny and cool in New York City, the day significantly less cold than the previous days of the month, which was a blessing. Annabelle was woken by a kiss from her husband, and whispered wish for a happy birthday, before a tray of fruit covered waffles was sat on her lap, followed by a soft kiss from her husband, who leaned against the pillows as he often shared bites of syrupy goodness. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"What do you mean," she mumbled as she chewed on a strawberry, the juices attempting to escape from her mouth.

"I know you've been sick for the past couple of weeks, even if you were trying to hide it from me. You can only hide the sound of vomiting so much.

"Oh," she cringed, "Yeah. I'm feeling a lot better," she pushed the tray towards their feet, her hand touching her stomach, "I can't eat another bite."

He grinned, poking slightly at her stomach, "You're stuffed. I guess I didn't realize I made so much."

She moved so that the slight bump was covered more as she laughed a little, before picking her cell phone up to check the time. 7:45. She groaned, unable to keep it in, "I should get ready for work."

His mouth met her neck as he leaned over, bracing himself on the opposite side of the bed, "we still have time."

She felt bile rise towards her throat, pushing him away slightly, "move."

He pulled away, confusion lacing his features, watching as she darted towards the bathroom. Gently combing the loose strands around her face away with his hands, he rubbed her back, "maybe you should go to the doctor instead of work?"

She finished, wiping her mouth with he wet rag he placed in her palm, "I'm fine. I just probably ate too much because I was feeling better." She accepted his help up from the floor, giving him a weak smile, "I think I'm just gonna take a shower."

"Okay. Yell if you need me."

Forty-five minutes later, the couple was walking out the door to go into their respective offices. Annabelle happily walking in her black ankle boots, as they had no heel, and were paired with black skinny jeans and an oversized white button up shirt, the earrings Rafael gave to her the year before visibly dangling thanks to her hair being pulled into a braid over her shoulder. Rafael was much more dressed up in his light mint green suit and pale peach tie.

Annabelle's day was filled with mundane actions, surprise roses from Rafael, and a small gold bracelet from David, before she happily left the office at 4pm, in order to begin getting ready for the night, as she needed to be there around 6:30, instead of the 7:00pm time for the actual guests. She was settled into the vinyl chair, eyes alert as she watched the stylist finger her red strands, taking a deep breath, she met the stylist's hopeful expression with a sigh, "do it."


	23. Baby Barba

Shout out to Honeybunny0114 and Ciera JW for favoriting No Regrets! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and as always, reviews are much appreciated. N

Chapter 23

Annabelle sat at her vanity, slowly fingering the straightened strands of her now shoulder length hair, accidently pulling on it when the front door slammed closed. "I'm in the bedroom!" She stood from the white chair careful of her dress, smiling when he appeared in the doorway, half of his work suit already hanging in his arms, "hi, husband."

"dios mio," his voice was quiet as he took her hand spinning her in a slow circle, "you look stunning, amor."

"Gracias, Raf," planting a soft kiss to his stubbled cheek, she moved away, smirking to herself as she realized that her Kat Von D Mercy lipstick didn't leave a glittery stain, "go get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs," he gave her a nod, brushing his lips against the back of her hand, tapping one of her long black nails with his thumb.

After exiting the elevator, she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, black strappy heels clicking with every step, before she leaned against the counter to play on her phone, jerking slightly as the text alert went off just as she was unlocking it.

Jake: Did you tell him?

Anna: I'm going to hit you the next time I see you.

Jake: You didn't answer my question little sister.

Anna: tonight, you ass.

She began typing out another message, before quickly locking her phone when a voice caused her to jump in awareness, "how much did you end up paying for that?" Annabelle's dress was a short sleeved off the shoulder A line gown, which was black on top, before blooming into a dark green at her waistline, highlighted by the small dark green bow acting as a belt across the hem. Rafael ran a tan finger slightly over the cleavage exposed by the small v in the center at the top of her dress, "I really like this part."

Annabelle blushed, looking away, before her wandering eyes found their way to his tuxedo clad body, "do you always have to be so sexy?" She ran her palm over his cheek, eyes closing at the feel of the scruff still gracing his cheek, "I seriously got lucky." His tongue darted out to moisten his lips as his eyes alternated between her eyes and the swell of her chest, before he deliberately kept their eyes locked together as he slowly lowered his lips to hers. The kiss only ended when she pulled away, panting, "come on, stud."

"First," he linked one set of their hands together, bringing his other from behind his back, "I got you something." Releasing his hold on her, "this one first." She slowly opened the slim black box, lips quirking in a confused smile as she looked at the set of tickets. "They're for this weekend. A little get away, slash early anniversary gift." He didn't give her a chance to reply, pushing the second box into her hand, "Now this one."

She gasped as she looked at the second gift, "Raf. This…this is too much."

He gently took it from her hands, removing it from the box, "not for you. Happy birthday, carino." She gave a happy sigh as she felt his fingers easily hooking the latch to the diamond necklace, before it fell against the back of her neck.

She ran her finger over the line of diamonds that now sat perfectly against her chest. The trio of diamonds were each separated by a single gold line, creating a vertical design, that easily matched the earrings from last year. "It matches my earrings."

Rafael ran his hand against her cheek, his fingers brushing against the diamond teardrop earrings he gifted her the year before, "I got them at the same time. Do you like it?"

"Yeah. It's perfect," she pressed her lips against his, "you're perfect. I love you, Rafael Barba."

"And I, you." He tangled their fingers together, "We're going to be late, if we don't leave now."

They made it less than a dozen steps before she stopped, causing him to look at her in confusion. "Before we leave. I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" She cleared her throat, "nothing. Uhm, I've been trying to figure out the best time to tell you this, and I just keep backing out, and," she stopped, taking a couple of deep breaths.

"Anna, you're scaring me."

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" She bit her still painted bottom lip, worry marring her features, as she stared at her now non-moving husband. "You're pregnant?" She nodded. "We're pregnant?" Another fearful nod. "We're having a baby!" She smiled in relief as he wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a spin as his delighted laughter filled the room. She landed back on her feet, feeling his smile as he instantly brought his mouth down for a kiss. "How far along are you?"

Worry once more graced her face, and her answer was quiet, "four months."

"Excuse me?"

"Yesterday was four months."

"I heard you the first time." She winced at the sharpness of his voice, "Why didn't you tell me?" He didn't give her a chance to reply, "were you going to tell me anytime soon or just I didn't notice until you gave birth?" He stopped, his chest heaving, "Do you have anything to even say?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" His eyes widened, almost comically, "Any other major secrets you need to tell me?!" Her phone began ringing, causing her to automatically glance down at the caller ID. "Do not answer that or so help me." He trailed off, allowing her imagination to fill in the blanks.

"It's Olivia." His eyes narrowed as she clicked the button, "hello?" she closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore the looks her husband was giving her, "yeah, I'm sorry, Liv. I'm on my way right now." She hung up, instantly shaking her head towards Rafael when his mouth opened to speak, "hate me later, okay? I'm late, and I need to go. I'll see you there or home or," she sighed, "whatever."

She made to pass him, but the grip on her wrist stopped her from going too far, "I love you, and I am so happy that we're having a baby, but I am absolutely furious with you right now." He released her wrist, and walked towards the door, Annabelle following silently behind.

-xXx-

Walking into the large reception room, Annabelle smiled at how beautiful the wide, window filled room looked. Rafael had left her side almost the moment they walked into venue, and she mingled with the guests that had already arrived, as it was 7:05, and she was officially late. She smiled as she heard the crooning tones of Elton John filling the room, she smiled as her eyes landed on the man in question, knowing that Emma had pulled through with at least one musical guest for entertainment. "You okay?"

She turned quickly, catching sight of Olivia Benson in a red one-shouldered evening gown, "Hey, Liv. You look gorgeous."

The two women embraced each other, "so do you. You two were late. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine."

"Your eyes are red." The graduate averted her eyes, "and I'm a cop. Quit lying to me."

Annabelle gave a small, harsh laugh, "I'm four months pregnant."

"What? Congratulations!" The brunette looked around, "where's Barba?"

Annabelle shrugged, "who freaking knows," catching the lieutenant's look she continued, "Long story. I just wanna get this night over with and go to bed." When the hors d'oeuvres began making their way around the room, she was quick to pass on everything, much to Olivia's disappointment. "I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat something." She tensed at the sound of her husband's voice, half expecting him to begin shouting at her again. He plucked a couple of emerald shrimp off a passing tray, "try the shrimp."

"I'm fine."

"Eat." She averted her eyes, but took the shrimp, biting off a small piece, knowing that her stomach may not be able to handle it with how much it was rolling in nervousness at that moment.

"Rafael." Her eyes flickered at the sound of the accented voice, leading her to Yelina Munoz, who looked stunning in a tight black dress, the slit in the front of the dress went up to her thigh and the v neck went almost to her belly button, making Annabelle's heart clench in jealousy. Yelina's eyes filled with an emotion that the younger woman couldn't describe when they landed on her, "Miss Stevens, you made it."

"Hi, Mrs. Munoz. Mr. Munoz." "Yelina. Alex." Catching Olivia's eye, the older woman squeezed her hand, before silently making her way away from the group and back towards her squad, while Annabelle mentally screamed that she was a traitor. It was less than twenty minutes later that everyone was seated at their assigned tables. As they were part of the organizational committee, Olivia and her date, Ed Tucker, Rafael and Annabelle, the governor and his wife, Alex and Yelina, and Emma and her date were all sitting at the ten-person table.

Once their chosen appetizers were delivered, Annabelle picked at her salad, barely hearing the conversation around her, getting lost in her own thoughts. "Why aren't you eating?" She looked at Rafael who had leaned over to whisper in her ear, he made eye contact, "You need to eat. For our child."

"It just doesn't taste right. I'll eat my chicken, okay?" He gave her a short nod, before going back to his own salad, spearing a walnut surrounded by lettuce. Pulling a walnut out with her fork, she slipped it into her mouth, smiling slightly as she stared at the table décor – a mixture of different flowers in various shades of purple and four tall, thin candles. As everyone finished up their soups and salads, they were replaced by their chosen entrees; Annabelle's mouth began watering the moment that the pecan crusted chicken was sat in front of her, although she stared at Rafael's New York strip, the Cognac sauce wafting in her direction. "that freaking sauce smells delicious."

"You want a bite?"

"Kinda." They shared a small smile, "but no. I don't know if all the alcohol cooked out of it."

"One bite won't hurt the baby."

"are you sure?" Instead of replying, he pulled away from their whispered conversation, slicing a piece of steak that was mostly covered in the sauce, holding his hand under the fork, he led it to her mouth, Annabelle's eyes closing in appreciation as the flavors hit her tongue. "You're amazing, and I love you." He gave her a soft smile, going back to his meal, after a moment of just looking at her husband, she turned back to her chicken, her appetite completely evaporated.

-xXx-

"Every 98 seconds, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States. When a victim is brave enough to allow another invasion to their body, this time in the form of a rape kit, that invasion becomes a major tool in providing evidence to help solve the horrific crime committed against them, as well has being able to help prevent further crimes from occurring." Annabelle took a moment to look around the room, all 199 guests had their eyes locked on her form, standing on the stage, "DNA collected in a rape kit not only confirms the victim's statement, but can also discredit a suspect. It is able to show connections between different crime scenes, and it can help to identify serial offenders. DNA also has another use – releasing those who have been wrongly convicted of a crime." The redhead looked down at her notes, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "There are currently hundreds…of thousands…of untested rape kits in this country's rape kit backlog. Each kit is a lost opportunity. An opportunity to bring closure, to bring justice, and to be safety to everyone. The numbers in this backlog need to be lower, not only for justice, but because when we test a rape kit, it sends a message – you matter. What happened to you matters, and your case matters." She let out another small breath, "I grew up in Arkansas, and there are over 3,000 untested rape kits in that state, alone. New York has over 2,000. These kits need to be tested, and that is why we are all here tonight. To show our support to ending the backlog, through advocacy, through donations, through our support to survivors of sexual assault." She lowered her final index card, "I want to thank each and every one of you who have given your support. Now, the reception room has been turned into a silent auction of sorts, where you can bid on over $50,000 worth of donated items. All the proceeds will be going into a fund to help to an end to the backlog, and to help support those survivors who need it. Enjoy the rest of your night, and again, thank you." She smiled at the applause, making her way down the three steps leading off the stage, handing the microphone over to Taylor Swift as she passed. She made it back to her table, receiving congratulations from almost the entire group. She looked at Rafael with a wistful smile, "I wish I would've eaten my dessert now." She giggled at the look he sent her, "I would kill for some chocolate cake." She watched, and the governor led his wife onto the dance floor as Taylor crooned about love, Emma taking her date to the auction.

He gave her a smile, almost as if he didn't want to at first, "I'll get you some on the way home."

"Are you sure you need to be eating dessert this late at night?" The final five at the table looked at Yelina when she spoke. "No offense. It just seems that you were struggling to fit in your dress, already. We wouldn't want a malfunction, would we?"

Annabelle's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to reply, but Rafael beat her to it, "She's pregnant, and honestly, what my wife does is none of your business, Yelina."

Green eyes widened as his sharp reply caused both Alex and Yelina took look between the two of them sharply, "Wife? She still goes by her last name."

Annabelle looked at Alex, who spoke, "Actually, Mr. Munoz, I don't. I just thought it would be rude to correct you during the meetings."

"You married her, Rafi?" Yelina's voice has pitched to a higher level, causing Annabelle to roll her eyes as she stood up, "her? A gringa?"

Annabelle smirked, "Yes, he did. I may be a gringa, but at least I'm not a cheater." She left the table, stalking off towards the auction room, intent on seeing how everything was going, only she didn't get that far before Rafael was joining her, "I thought you were mad at me?" Her eyes briefly flickered to his as he fell in step beside her.

"I still am, sort of. I understand you were afraid of what I would say," he stopped her from going any further, as they were both standing in an abandoned corner, "but you have to trust me, carino. I love you, and we are in this together." She nodded, "Now, come dance with me. I asked him to play us a song." She allowed the Cuban to lead her onto the now filled dance floor, as Ed Sheeran was just beginning his song, Small Bump, making her laugh slightly, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. "It's kinda sexy when you're jealous."

She blushed, kissing his lips, "shut up."

-xXx-

"My dad used to have an expression, the greatest sin any person could commit is the abuse of power, and the greatest abuse of power was rape. It takes a woman a long time to heal. When the victim isn't believed. When she goes through the invasive process of having a rape kit put together, and then is stuck on the shelf somewhere. And then the rape kit is never ever tested. We fail. We fail her. We fail so many women. I'm proud to say, today, we did not fail." The vice-president glanced down at the notes hidden by the wooden podium, "thanks to the dedicated efforts of law enforcement, the whole legal system, the victim's advocacy groups, and particularly, my friend here, Lieutenant Olivia Benson was SVU. Congratulations, Lieutenant." Annabelle smiled as the balding man shook hands with her friend on national television, from her position next to Fin.

"Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. WE are so honored to stand here today, with you, to announce that in beginning to clear he national rape kit backlog, we have taken rapists off the streets, we have prevented future crimes, we have given victim's closure. And we have also, righted a terrible wrong. 16 years ago, Shawn Roberts was convicted of a rape here, in New York City, that he did not commit. By processing an untested rape kit in Detroit, we were able to identify the real rapist, and set Shawn free." Applause surrounded the room as Olivia left the podium, and the official press conference was over, before guests began mingling with each other, and reporters began to take statements from those they encountered.

Annabelle hugged Olivia the moment she was clear from the stage, "congrats."

Olivia smiled at the redhead, pulling away, only to motion towards her previous stage buddy, "Mr. Vice-President, I'd like you to meet Annabelle Barba. She is part of the committee that I was on involving the backlog." The newly introduced shared a handshake in greeting, "she is the one who was in charge of the banquet last month."

"Oh? I heard you raised over a million dollars. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir. We were extremely honored to have so many people care enough to help us raise that much." The duo posed for a couple of photographs, before he moved on, making his way throughout the room. "I'm surprised that Alex didn't show up."

Olivia looked at her pregnant friend, "and face everyone who arrested him?"

"Well, we never said he was the smartest. He'd probably play it off as a getting past old grudges or something," she rolled her eyes, giving the new group a smile as they approached, immediately going quiet to watch Shawn Roberts making a few comments to the press.

"I bare no ill will towards Melanie Harper. She's as much a victim as I am, and this is a fresh start for me, Melanie, and her daughter, Ashley."

"We're looking forward to the next chapter." Annabelle couldn't help but to feel pity to the woman who looked so obviously uncomfortable.

"And my mother and I wanna make amends. Have Shawn in our lives. I'm getting married next month," the blonde held her hand up for the cameras to see the ring adorning her polished finger, "I've invited Shawn to the wedding." Amanda and Annabelle shared looks, their minds instantly questioning how strange that was.

Annabelle walked up to Fin, who was leaning against a desk, watching the trio leave, "you okay?"

"I'm good. I'm glad he's out of jail."

The younger woman squeezed his hand, "it was an honest mistake. You're a good cop." After a few more minutes of mingling, the redhead pulled her black peacoat around her body as she left the precinct, heading back home, to pack her suitcase.

-xXx-

Annabelle smiled as she posed next to the cement block letters outside of the Smithsonian Zoo. Dressed in a pair of jeans, a black and grey striped sweater with a teal scarf that matched her purse, Annabelle was all smiles as the couple first began their walking journey. They posed at the different zoo attractions throughout the day. They had just left the seals when she caught a whiff of something that made her stomach lurch in excitement, "Rafael, I want a pretzel."

"A pretzel?" He sounded skeptical, which made her green eyes narrow, to which he grinned at in response, taking her hand, "let's get you a pretzel." He led them to the Seal Rock Café, which was further down the hill, before pulling a chair out of her underneath one of the bamboo looking umbrellas, before going inside. Five minutes later, he was depositing a large soft pretzel in front of his wife, who sighed happily as she broke off a piece and dipped it into the cheese sauce provided. "Good?"

She nodded, still chewing, before taking a sip of her frozen lemonade. "this is the greatest thing I've ever put in my mouth." Her simple reply made him snort out a laugh as he picked up one of his cheese covered chips. "Is that chili?" He looked down at the nachos, before giving her a nod and sliding the container slightly towards her, noticing the look on her face. She took one of the messiest chips, before devouring it within two bites. "chili and cheese were man's greatest invention."

An hour later, the couple was leaving the park, a newly bought black beaded bracelet dangled from Annabelle's wrist, the panda charm clinking against one of the beads every so often, a plastic shopping bag containing a shirt for both Noah and Jessie hung from Rafael's hand. As they settled into their rented black, convertible Porsche, she sighed, "I wish I would've gotten funnel cake."

"Do you want me to go back and get you one?"

"No." At his look she continued, "it's too far. I'll be fine." They rode for about fifteen minutes before she realized something was off, "are you sure this is taking us to the hotel?" Rafael smiled at her question, but otherwise showed no reaction. "Raf, my feet are killing me. Please don't make me walk anymore." He merely took his hand off the steering wheel and squeezed her thigh. She jumped when the GPS announced that they had arrived at their destination. "Where are we?"

"I'll be right back." He left the car running, as he went towards a green truck. He came back ten minutes later, a white Styrofoam box in his hands. "For you."

"What's Lattimores?" When he didn't answer, she slowly opened the box. "You bought me funnel cake." She smiled, leaning over the best she could to plant a kiss to his cheek, "You're amazing." They spent the ride back to the hotel listening to music, as Annabelle happily munched on her fried dough, feeding sugar dusted bites to her husband every once and awhile.

-xXx-

Annabelle woke up from a two-hour nap, feeling extremely refreshed, until she saw the look on her husband's face as he stared at the laptop screen. "Oh, no. What happened now?"

"Ashley Harper was raped a murdered."

"What?!"

"I've got to head back." She nodded, immediately going towards where she had discarded her jeans earlier in the day. "I told them we'd catch a flight first thing in the morning." She paused, one leg in her jeans, to stare at the Cuban. "I did promise you dinner and show. Cutter said he'd handle it until I could get there." He made his way over to Annabelle, kissing her make up free lips, "go get ready. We have to leave in an hour."

Annabelle stood in an olive-green v neck dress, the brown belt going underneath her breasts matched the brown lace up ankle boots, as feathers in a mixture of maroon and brown dangled from her ears. She had left her shoulder length hair in its natural curls, and her make up to a minimum. "What do you think?"

Rafael had just appeared in a pair of dark pants and a cream-colored polo, his hair gelled back in its usual form, "beautiful. As always. Maybe even a little more, as I know what is growing inside of you right now." She blushed as his hand caressed her protruding stomach, before he slid it down to entangle his fingers with hers, "shall we?" She bit her lip, allowing him to lead her out of the Hotel Lombardy.

-xXx-

Annabelle took a small bite of her tomato bisque as she watched the Medieval Times show, knowing that if she wanted to eat her actual dinner she wouldn't be able to eat much of the rich soup. The moment she found out they were having roasted chicken and herb potatoes; her stomach began growling. She tensed as she watched the blue knight fall from his horse during the jousting tournament, absentmindedly rubbing a hand over her stomach as she drank from her steel goblet. As much as she was enjoying the show, she was already ready to be back in the bed, her tired body still aching from the amount of walking she had done earlier in the day. After the two-hour show had finished, the couple took the thirty-minute journey back to their hotel, where she was quick to strip off her dress and boots, which was quickly joined by her bra, her face contorting in a small wince as the material scrapped against her sensitive nipples.

Washing the make up from her face, she slowly made her way back towards the bed, clad only in her boy short underwear and a tank top. "What?" She couldn't help the smile that lit up her face as she caught sight of Rafael watching her from his position on top of the bed. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shook his head, hand absently scratching at his bare shoulder, "you're gorgeous."

"I'm getting stretch marks, already."

"Stop it," he stood from his previous place, putting his hands against her soft hips, "You are stunning, and you'll always look beautiful to me, no matter how big you _think_ you are."

She sighed, her nails coming up to lightly scrape against his bare chest, smiling as she felt his body tense up slightly as she did so. "I need you to do something for me." She didn't let him ask what, before she leaned up, kissing the soft beneath his ear, "fuck me. Please."

His hands tightened around her body, "are you sure? I know how you've been feeling lately."

She smiled, "I know, but I asked why I was so blah at the last appointment- "

"the one I couldn't make."

She gave a small nod, "The one you couldn't make, and he said it was normal that my sex drive would disappear, but it would come back as my hormones balanced out." Rafael nodded in understanding. "And honestly, I've been sopping wet all day, and I really, _really_ want my husband's cock in me, right now." She felt his penis twitch against her stomach, and smiled, kneeling in front of him, "maybe you need a little convincing."

He was still looking at her with a look that she couldn't describe, unsure if it was because she was finally ready to be intimate again, or if it was the fact that she had talked to him in a way that she never had before. "No. Let me." He stopped her from revealing his erection, gently pushing her onto the bed, before leaning over her to plant kisses into her heated skin, her knees bent at the end of the bed, feet still on the floor. Rafael kneeled in front of her, his fingers slowly hooking into the lace material, already able to see the wetness of her want. His lips pressed against the few stretch marks starting to form against her pale skin. His tongue slid against her skin, before lightly dipping into her folds, causing her to instantly raise her body higher, his chuckle was all she heard, before her moan sounded throughout the room as he flicked against her clit multiple times in a row, before his tongue delves deep. She begins withering, and he slid two fingers into her, grinning against her skin as she moans out a curse, his tongue making circular eights along her clit, as his fingers curl inside her. He feels her tensing, before she shatters around him, her body arching up in pure pleasure. She is still panting as he removed his pajama bottoms, his erection springing free, as he his eyes roam her sweat covered body before they lock onto her own.

He strokes himself, biting his lip in concentration, before rubbing against her slick folds. "don't tease me. Please, Raf." He lined up to her entrance, the tip of his cock pressing in slightly, causing her to hiss as he ran his skilled tongue over a peaked bud, his hand caressing the other as he pressed deeper into her body, little by little, never allowing himself to fully enter his wife's tight core. "Rafael. Plleeasee." He bit down gently on her nipple, his tongue automatically going to soothe the stinging flesh, before rising to stare into Annabelle's eyes, his sharp thrust causing her to moan, loudly, as he becomes fully sated inside of her, she began spasming around his shaft, her inside tightening sporadically, as she panted.

"Did you just- "

"Yes," she interrupted him with a hiss, as he slowly started pulling out and sliding back in, helping her to ride out her second orgasm. Her breath was nothing before short pants as he worked slowly, "harder, please." He speeds up, the fire instantly reigniting in her belly. She feels nothing but intense pleasure, sliding from her pussy to her swollen nipples, and all the way down her legs as his deep thrusts ram inside her, pressing their hips together as he drives into her wildly, the way she's craving, as her head flies back, the pleasure swirling out of control, Rafael buries himself to the hilt, roaring out his own moan as he orgasm consumes him, Annabelle's body shakes in aftershocks as Rafael slowly slides out of her. "I love you."

"As I, you, wife."

-xXx-

Annabelle sat at the table in the SVU precinct, her pink ankle length dress brushing against her legs every time she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the grey shirt felt confining and she wished she had worn something baggier. "As of now, who is our main suspect? Shawn or Zack?"

"As of now, both."

"Or, an unknown."

Annabelle nodded, agreeing with Amanda, as she clicked on another photograph posted on an account, "I've been searching through Ashley's social media. She's got a lot of male followers."

"great," Rafael ran a hand over her shoulder, "So, what do we have on Shawn?" the redhead bit her lip, eyes moving away from the screen, to lock on the form of her husband, the grey suit pants accentuating his backside in a way that should be illegal.

"So, the timeline is tight. Ashley was attacked sometime between midnight, when Melanie heard her voice, and –"

"And Shawn's voice," Fin chimed in.

"1:20 when Melanie called 911," Olivia continued, pointing at the handwritten square towards the bottom of the white board.

"Shawn claims he wasn't in the house."

"but Shawn doesn't have an alibi from 11:30, when we confirmed he left the restaurant, to 2:05, when he arrived at the strip club."

"And Zack doesn't have an alibi either."

"Well, no. Actually, he does. The bartender at the Dakota bar confirms that somebody spilled red wine on him. He went home to change. He was back in fifteen minutes."

"Okay," Rafael had a certain look on his face, "back to Shawn."

"We did find Shawn's hair at the scene. But he's been there a lot in the past two weeks. There's no blood"

"Even though he cut his hand," Rafael's voice was a mix between skeptical and suspicious as he spoke.

"Bleach and fire," Annabelle shrugged, still scrolling through social media accounts.

"There's also the missing kitchen knife," Olivia heard the file switch hands behind her back, "which the ME thinks could be the murder weapon."

"Look. I know no one wants to think Shawn Roberts is good for this."

Annabelle's eyes lit up as she came across something, "Maybe he's not. Look," she held a hand up, motioning for the group to join her at the computer, "two week ago, Ashley got a private DM from a guy named Charlie Dopkins." She turned to glance at Olivia, "She told him to stop looking in her window and being creepy."

"Looking in her window?" The lieutenant glanced around at the three detectives, "a neighbor, an ex. Find out." The group split up, leaving Annabelle sitting at the computer, and Rafael standing next to her, fingering the ends of the blue folder.

-xXx-

Annabelle stood in the hallway with Rafael, staring at the coffee cup in his hand, her blue and silver striped skirt hung limply to her knees, and her sliver scoop necked top did nothing to hide her growing stomach, "one drink."

"No."

"Rafael Barba.

"Annabelle."

"What's going on?"

Annabelle barely glanced at Olivia before relocking her eyes on the cup that was being lowered from her husband's mouth, "He won't let me have his coffee."

"The doctor said no coffee."

"I haven't had any in almost six months," she whined, before glaring at the ADA, "if you don't give me a drink, you will not like the outcome."

Olivia placed her hand on the younger woman's back, "cravings?"

"Yes," her head hung down, tears filling her eyes in frustration.

Olivia gave her a sympathic look before locking eyes with Rafael who sighed, "here." He held the cup out, causing Annabelle to look between the two in a mixture of shock and gratitude, slowly reaching for the warm cup, only to frown with Rafael pulled it back slightly, "One drink." His serious tone was out of place next to the smile on his face. She took a cup, instantly getting a long drink of the steaming liquid, a sigh of contentment leaving her mouth afterwards, before she handed it back to her husband silently, who drained the last remaining bits before tossing it into the trash can near the door of the court room.

She sat next to Carisi as she listened to the first witness speak, her eyes continually being drawn to the man in the dark blue suit, whose tie matched her skirt perfectly. During the recess, she left the court to retire into Rafael's office, fatigue getting the best of her. She was jerked from her nap when the door slammed open, "we got a guy on trial who was wrongfully convicted on bad eyewitness testimony and you don't tell me that the kid waffled on the ID or the time?!"

Her wide eyes stared at the four people standing around Rafael's desk from her position on his leather couch, "he waffled. He did not lie. There is a big difference." Oh, Amanda, what have you done?

"Listen, Buchannan is going to manipulate this into you manipulating a kid to defend Fin."

"Charlie's telling the truth. He saw Shawn leave the house. Toss the knife, after he and his girlfriend had sex, which was around 1:15 or so. That's the truth! I can't help it if the kid has a crush on me or – "

"Hold on. You were aware that he had an affection for you? That he had a desire to make you happy?"

"Lieutenant. I was there. Rollins didn't lead him."

"Don't make excuses for her. That's not what the jury thinks." Rafael's eyes were full of anger, she could see that from her position across the room.

"Okay, counselor. It's not Rollins' fault that Buchannan spun that kid upside down and that you didn't know how to stop it."

"Hey! Enough. Everybody needs to calm the hell down," Annabelle stood up, her hands automatically coming to rest against her back, knowing that she shouldn't be this sore only five months in.

"Okay, thank you we're done." After Olivia spoke, Amanda and Sonny stalked from the room.

Rafael slowly sat down in his chair, Olivia turning towards him, while Annabelle walked towards the door, "I'm going to pee."

-xXx-

"Let me rephrase. Miss Harper, you blame yourself for your daughter's death, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

Annabelle was sitting in the gallery once more, this time next to Fin, as she watched her husband treat Ashley Harper's mother has a hostile witness. "You caused Ashley's death. You sent him to prison, where he was victimized and abused for sixteen years. Thanks to you, he learned how to become a killer and a rapist."

"Objection! Is there a question anywhere here?"

"Get to the question, Mr. Barba."

"The point is. If you had not made that false identification sixteen years ago. He never would've gone to prison, which means he would have never killed Ashley."

Melanie's face had contorted into despair, "that's not true."

"That's not true, or you don't want it to be true? Because, in your mind. If he killed Ashley, you killed her," he stopped, his voice becoming less harsh, "and that's too painful to accept. That's why you don't wanna testify."

Melanie broke down in tears, "I sent him there. Every time he was," she took a breath, "beaten or raped. It was my fault. I turned him into a rapist. A monster. And it was my fault. I'm the guilty one here."

"Well, to feel this guilty. You obviously believe he killed your daughter, which means that you are certain you heard Shawn's voice in your house the night of the murder, around midnight. Correct?"

Melanie nodded, "yes." Rafael let out a breath, his shoulders instantly slumping in relief.

It was the next morning, while watching Rafael get ready for the third day of court, she typed away on her computer about a homicide case she was working on with Brooklyn PD. Adjusting his tie, he made his way over to her, kissing the top of her head, "I love you."

"you, too. Good luck." She wanted to support her husband, but she knew that if she didn't find everything about her current case that she could, then she might not get another chance before Brooklyn decided to try to make an official arrest. She looked back up when he didn't leave, "Why are you smiling at me?"

"You're belly button sticks out."

She gave him a confused look before glancing down, "Oh my gosh. It does! I hadn't noticed." She giggled, "I don't know why this makes me so happy."

He gave her a soft kiss to the lips, "it makes me happy, too. I'll see you tonight."


	24. Professor Barba & Braxton Hicks

Shout out to animexchick for following and favorting this story, and to rosymax9 for the alert subscription – ya'll are great, thanks! Here's the next chapter. Let me know how you feel about it? Sorry for the rough edit over it, but life has been rough lately. N

Chapter 24

"Hi gorgeous."

Annabelle smiled from her place curled up on the couch in the den, pausing the horror movie she had been intently watching for the past hour. "Hi, husband." Her eyes followed his fingers as they loosened the deep purple tie around his neck, "how was your day?" He sighed, plopping down onto the couch, mindful of the half empty bowl of popcorn near his feet. Annabelle made a sympathic face, "that bad, huh?"

He nodded, his hand rubbing along her short clad thigh, "is this what you've been doing all day?"

She nodded happily, "Mhm," tossing a couple of kernels into her mouth. "Nothing but me and Michael. Well…sorta. Dr. Roberts. You remember her, right?"

"English, yes?" She nodded, offering the bowl to him as Michael Myers stabbed a brunette on the screen. "That was your intern professor."

"Yeah. She emailed me today and then we talked on the phone." Taking a drink form her apple juice, she continued, "she wants me to take over her classes for two to three months. She's taking medical leave."

"You don't have your master's."

"She knows, and she went to the higher ups and they approved it, based on if I apply to be in the master's program."

"You're going for your master's?"

She knew the look on her face was hopeful, "what do you think about it?"

"I think," he hesitated long enough for the smile to begin falling from her face, "that if you its something you want to do, then you should do it. Are you quitting your other job? Or is David," he spat the name, his displeasure with the man still highly evident, "going to work with your hours?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, it's only three classes a day, and one set of office hours."

"When do you start?"

"February 18, I wanted to wait until after my next appointment, if you said yes."

"16th, right?" She nodded, flicking the television off, and pushing herself off the couch, glaring as he watched from his position on the couch. "Let me help you?"

"No. I can do it," she tried a few more times before groaning in frustration, "your son is already as stubborn as you," Rafael chuckled gently taking her hand, and pulling her from the leather piece. "Like a freaking basketball. Demon."

"Angel."

"Yeah, well tell your spawn to be an angel and quit using my kidney as a punching bag."

He kneeled, his face level to her stomach, "princesa, please stop being mean to mami."

Annabelle faked a cough, "prince."

"Girl."

"He's a boy, and you're going to give him identity issues."

"She will be perfect in whatever she does."

Annabelle placed a small kiss to his lips before leaning up to his ear, "boy," and taking off as fast as she could, towards the kitchen, calling back, "what do you want for dinner?"

-xXx-

"You working from home is completely fine," Annabelle's eyes locked onto David's hand where it lingered on top of hers, "I'd prefer that, to be honest. The baby is priority to me, and I don't want anything to happen to him." He pulled away, taking a sip from his white Starbucks cup, "besides you'd be an idiot to turn down Bethany's offer to teach," he stood up from his chair across the desk, "It's not like you're going to leave me to teach. I know you better than that. Have a good night, Belle." Annabelle shook her head as he left the window surrounded room, before finishing up with email to Alden Kessler and scheduling her official admissions interview. After finishing the paperwork needed to finalize her committee's work for the month, she slowly made her way from the building, knowing that she needed to start deciding on the final book for Dr. Robert's classes to read for their final three months. Once she hit up a couple of local bookstores, she was quick to jump into her bed the moment she got home, sleeping thirteen hours before her alarm went off the next morning.

Pairing a set of black jeggings with a long-sleeved grey shirt and a dark blue scarf, she glanced at the apple Rafael dropped into her hand, before locking the door behind her as they ventured to his range rover. The trip was silent for the most part, Rafael humming along to whatever was playing on the radio, as Annabelle stared at the buildings they passed, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. "Alright. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"Huh?" Annabelle's trance was broken by her husband's words, "Oh, just thinking."

"What could you be thinking about to keep you silent?"

"Are you," she cleared her throat, "are you going to be upset if it isn't a girl?"

"What?" His head whipped around to stare at his wife in the passenger seat, "Why would you think that, carino?" A tan hand gripped her thigh in a comforting manner, "I'll be ecstatic no matter what the sex is."

-xXx-

Annabelle stood in front of her first class, dressed in a pair of straight legged black slacks and a long sleeved, v neck teal shirt, her shoes having long been discarded, twenty-five unimpressed faces looking down at her from the stadium seating. "I'm not sure what Dr. Roberts told ya'll about me, but I'm at Annabelle Barba. I graduated from Hudson in May of last year with my English BA, and I am now working towards my Master's, with a focus on poetry…which is what we will be focusing on for the next two months. I know Dr. Roberts has already assigned for final assignments, and those are still going to happen, but she has taken everything else she had on the syllabus off, so that we can work together more efficiently." She held up a thin book, "this is _Oracle_ by Cate Marvin, and we will spend the rest of February and the first week of March on it. This is set in Staten Island, and it has a lot of violence and dark themes. You will be writing three papers over it. The first will be due on the 28th of this month, and you will take one of the poems from this book and analyze it. Two pages. Double spaced. The same thing will be due at the end of the first week of March." She dropped the bestseller onto the wooden desk with a smack, and pulled the second book up, she smiled at the room, " _The Uses of the Body_ is the second poetry book we will read. You will have the same type of papers due with Deborah Landau's book. The final class we have in March, is when your 5-page paper about how these books not only reflecs on poetry and poets of the past, but also how they change poetry in their own way." Annabelle leaned against the desk, attempting to ease some of the pain in her lower back, "Any questions?"

"Just where do you think we're going to get these books when we only have a day to do it?"

Her eyes locked on the cocky form of one of the hockey players, "Well, the bookstore will have them in tomorrow afternoon. Or you can go to Bookish, which is in Chelsea…they have about thirty copies, as of yesterday."

"Are you even going to be here until May? You're like pregnant."

Annabelle smirked, before it leveled out into a smile, "Actually, I'm due May 14th…but if I do go into labor, I have a plan already worked out." She glanced at her phone, where it sat on the other end of the desk as the alarm began beeping, "and that's all the time we have for today. Your assignment is to get the books before Wednesday's class, and you are to bring in a poem that you can relate to. Print it out and write a couple of sentences about why its relatable." She watched as they darted up the stairs to leave the room, her arms coming to cradle her belly as she felt her first child give a couple of kicks.

-xXx-

"You have that _I hate people_ look going on right now. What's up?"

"It's more like I hate Hudson."

Annabelle groaned, falling backwards on the bed, "what happened now? Fraternity?"

"I'm not sure how much I can talk to you about this…you are an employee at the university."

"I work for Attention Inc…don't make me hack your computer."

His eyes narrowed slightly, before replacing her hand as it was rubbing circles on the side of her stomach, "What do you know about Alden Kessler?"

She shrugged, "He's a good guy from what I've heard. I mean, he did my admittance interview. Completely professional."

"He's been accused of rape."

Annabelle sighed, pushing her t-shirt clad body up onto her elbows, "want me to see what I can find?"

"No." he pushed her back into her previous position, "relax. I'll go cook us some dinner."

"I think I just wanna go to sleep," she gave his stubbled cheek a kiss, "this child has been giving me heartburn all day."

Rafael nodded, planting his lips against her forehead, "Yell if you need me. Te amo."

"Love you, too, Raf."

-xXx-

Annabelle cursed when the books she was carrying fell from her hands, landing on the hard cement of the sidewalk, outside the coffee shop. "Are you supposed to be drinking coffee?"

She looked up, from where she was trying to lower herself, catching a set of blue eyes as the man lifted her up by the arm, before placing the fallen books into her oversized bag, "Sonny!" Giving the detective a hug, she pulled back, "what are you doing here?"

"Going to see Alden Kessler. How you feeling? Rollins is getting us coffee."

"I'm ready to pop this kid out. He takes after his daddy. The pain in my ass."

"So, it's a boy?"

She gave him a light shove, "No. Maybe. I'm not telling until this weekend."

"Sure, sure."

The pair were greeted by Amanda, before the two detectives went on their way to admissions, while Annabelle was going to hike up to her temporary office, jumping when she was almost run over by a tall, balding man. "Oh, Tom. You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry about that Belle," he released the hand that had been griping her shoulder, "just checking to see if your door was locked."

"Oh, thanks, Tom. You're the best." He gave her another smile, before continuing down the hallway, as she flicked the light back on inside her room, leaving the door open for students. She had been working for almost forty minutes, when a knock sounded at the door. Looking up she saw a baby-faced brunette in her doorway, "Come on in. Let me just send this," she clicked a couple things before focusing back on the ponytailed girl, "what's up?"

Uhm, you helped my friend, a couple of semesters ago." Annabelle looked at the freshman, "Megan became my big sister when I pledged Kappa Delta Alpha last semester."

"Has something happened?"

The brunette from her 9am class scrunched her face, "No! No, I just wanted to ask you a few questions. I'm working on a blog and discussing women's first times, and how they differ. How Hudson has affected their lives." Annabelle nodded, earning her a smile from the 18-year-old, "it's actually my final project for Dr. Roberts."

"Awesome. I can't wait to read it. You're turning in the entire blog?"

"Yeah. I created an entire website for it. I'm talking about consent and rape statistics. I've been interviewing a person a week."

"I think this is a really good idea. What did you wanna ask me?"

"Well, Megan told me how you told her you were a virgin, which you're obviously not now," she gestured to the older woman's bulging belly, "I just wanted to ask you a few things about your first time, but I'm not sure if it would be too weird to interview my professor?"

Annabelle shrugged, "I'd be fine with it."

"Great!" The student quickly stood up, something that Annabelle was slightly jealous of, "I'll send you an email tonight with the questions. I'd like a picture of you teaching to go with it. If that's cool?" Annabelle nodded. "Great! Bye Professor Barba." Annabelle was left rubbing her temples as the energetic teenager jetted from her office, the child inside her body draining every ounce of energy she had.

-xXx-

 _Annabelle smiled, her hand reaching down to hold onto Rafael's jean clad hip as his arm came around to wrap against her back, pushing her body closer to his. Taking two steps forward, Rafael pushed the backs of Annabelle's knees against the bed, causing her to fall onto her back with a soft giggle, her skirt flaring around her waist, revealing her dark green underwear. He pulled away, fingers brushing against the tiny set of lace, "You say stop, I will."_

 _She shook her head, raising up to pull her too long hair from underneath her back, "I trust you."_

 _She was mesmerized as his body moved up her legs, lips tasting her pale skin, her breath caught when his teeth scrapped the skin the top of her panties lay against. His lips curled into a grin against the material, her hips tingling against the pressure his fingers applied as the tips hooked into the lace, pulling the garment down her legs, slowly. They locked eyes for a moment, his hazel ones only leaving hers when she nodded her consent. Annabelle felt his hot breath billowing against her slit, jerking slightly when his wet tongue slipped over it, one hand still caressing her thigh. She moaned, biting her lip, as his tongue went deeper, still teasingly slow, until she was a withering mess underneath him. His hand left her thigh, pressing against her hips, allowing him to continue his delicious torture. His tongue flicked against her clit, hard, as he slipped his index finger into her canal. Annabelle arched off the bed, body pulled tight as she came with a loud moan._

 _Annabelle was panting, chest heaving and her eyes were closed with Rafael kneeling above her, "you okay?" She nodded and pulled him down for a kiss when she noticed the satisfied smirk on his stubble covered face, she chased his touch again, tasting herself on his tongue. Eventually, he pulled away, "do you want to go further?"_

 _She bit her lip and nodded as she gripped his blue shirt with her manicured hands, "yeah." Rafael nodded, before climbing off the bed. Her eyes followed his form, body slumping in rejection. "Did you…did you change your mind?"_

 _He quit digging in his suitcase, eyes roaming across her body, "never," he shook his head as he spoke, the word almost too soft for her to catch, before he straightened up, his jeans looking uncomfortably tight, as a little square flashed in the dim lighting. "Condom." He pulled her hand down to her lower body, "touch yourself," her heart pounded as she began to slowly pump one finger in and out, his eyes shifting from her hand to her face and back again, as he discarded his jeans and underwear, his prominent erection bouncing free, she moaned, as her eyes caught sight of his length, her eyes widening as she wondered if all penises were that large. Ripping the gold foil open, he slipped the rubber over his length, taking a deep breath as he stroked himself a few times. Crawling onto the bed to join his newly christened fiancée, he cradled her face as he brought their lips together for a soft kiss, before that hand slid down her body, meeting her own still thrusting finger and joining it, causing her to moan, loudly at the sensation. She shifted her body, spreading her legs further apart, her hips rocking up to meet his fingers. "you're gorgeous." The first and second fingers were joined by a third, causing her to groan in pleasure, hands fisting against the white bedsheets. Grinning, Rafael ground the palm of his hand against her clit, her moan going up an octave as her second orgasm of the night crashed down around her. He released the hold he had on her body, shifting so that the head of his cock pressed slightly against her soaked slit, "Are you sure? We don't have to do this."_

" _Yes, Rafael, I'm sure. I want you." He nodded, before pushing his hips forward, hesitantly. Annabelle's eyes closed, mouth opening as his girth slowly began stretching her body. He paused, feeling the barrier, only going when she nodded her consent once more. She hissed as she felt her hymen break, the burn ending after a few moments of stillness, Rafael's eyes hadn't left her body, so he instantly knew when her body relaxed, and when it did, he pulled back out before gently reentering her heat. He continued the process, until she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pulled out, "faster," he watched as her pussy quivered around nothing, before he slammed back in, smirking at the loud moan that escaped her mouth. His hips slapped against hers, the sound filling the room, along with her moans and his grunts. Rafael leaned down, biting and sucking on her neck, knowing that he was leaving marks on her beautiful skin. He braced himself on one elbow as his brought the other hand to rub the sensitive bundle, resulting in a curse word escaping her lips, teasing the nub with his thumb and forefinger, until she tightened around him so much that it was difficult to move inside her. He ground his hips against hers, rotating as he did, until she shrieked, her pleasure crashing around her body in waves. He pressed against her once more as he reached his own climax, his palms gripping her hips hard enough to bruise, before slipping out of her still fluttering canal, the additional movement causing her body to jerk in small slivers, her eyes still closed as she rode out her high._

She moaned as his hand touched her shoulder, her head spinning around, blushing as the lights of the room seemed to surround her all at once, "you okay, love?"

Annabelle glanced at the word filled screen of her laptop, snapping it to a close, "Yeah. I'm good."

"You seemed pretty out of it."

"Uhm, yeah. I'm good. Just answering a couple of questions for a student's project, and it brought back some memories."

"Good ones?"

She blushed, her hand tracing his belt buckle, "maybe." She made a face when she moved, "help me up, yeah?"

-xXx-

"I can't believe we let your mom have control of this."

He smiled, helping Annabelle from the car, "she promised to not go overboard." She was dressed in a simple long, flowing one shouldered turquoise dress with a sparkly belt under the bust, while Rafael wore a light grey suit with a shirt in the same shade as her dress, "I handled the most important part." At the look of confusion, she shot him, he smiled, "the cake." She snorted in laughter, walking into the building.

Annabelle's eyes widened as she took in the large venue. It was lit with small lights all over the room, along with three large chandeliers, the circular tables were lined with turquoise linens and square white plates sat at one end of the bar. The centerpieces a mixture of yellow and white flowers. The bar had been set up to hold the two drink options, a blue punch and a pink punch. "Blue Pina colada? Alright." She gave a small chuckle as she caught sight of the chalkboard in between the two with mouse ears drawn on it, one in blue, one in pink, with a piece of chalk there, waiting for everyone to declare the sex. Grinning, Annabelle did a tick underneath the boy category, playfully rolling her eyes when Rafael marked the girl category. "Hi, Lucia."

"My hija," Lucia Barba cupped Annabelle's face, gently squeezing her daughter in law's now chubby cheeks, "you're glowing!"

"Hi, mami." With those words, she turned to Rafael, kissing both of his cheeks in excitement. "It looks beautiful."

"The cake just arrived. Dinner will be ready in about five minutes, or so I'm told. Go mingle. Hija, drink this, you look tired." She took the red tinted liquid from Lucia, before allowing the woman to continue in her quest of a perfect baby shower, as she went towards the oldest person in the room.

"Catalina." Rafael's grandma struggled to stand up, before Annabelle embraced the older woman, "how are you doing? Raf said you fell again."

"I'm fine, Anna," she waved the question off, "he worries too much." Their conversation continued until Lucia announced that dinner was ready to eat. She shared hugs with my family that had flown in, as everyone made their way towards the now food covered bar. Taking the offered plate from Rafael, she gave him a smile in return.

Smiling at the choices of chicken or roast, she made eye contact with the people there to dish up their meals, "can I have some of both?" The woman nodded, forking some of each onto her plate, before Annabelle made her way down the line to the baked potatoes, grabbing one of the regular potatoes, making a face with Rafael grabbed a sweet potato. Picking up the little containers full of butter, cheese, and sour cream, she grabbed one of the buttered rolls, and held her plate so that the peppered green beans could be added to her meal. "What's that?"

Her eyes lingered on the fried circles next to the drinks, "fried pickles."

Her eyes widened in excitement, "load me up."

Rafael chuckled from behind her, "she means it. One spoonful will not be enough." She glared at him, as she picked one up with her fingertips, popping it into her mouth, before she walked towards the table they were sharing with Olivia, Fin, and Noah. She got settled and ate three pickles before trying to get up again. "What do you need? I'll get it."

She sighed in frustration, releasing her grip on the sides of the white chair, "ranch."

He kissed her forehead as he got up, "Stop sounding so miserable, please." She bit her lip, slightly annoyed at how amused he sounded, only to smile when he reappeared with two cups filled to the brim with her favorite dressing.

Once everyone was finished eating, the music turned lower and Lucia stepped up to the microphone once more, "It's time to cut the cake!" Rafael rolled his eyes at his excited mother, helping his wife from her chair, for the pair to make their way towards the front of the room, to cut into the three-layer cake he designed for the day. Each of the three tiers were shaped as squares and frosted with white fondant, an edible teal ribbon surrounding the first inch of each square's bottom, with a single yellow fondant flower on each level. A sparkly silver B adorning the top, each tier consisted of a different flavor, the bottom was vanilla bean, the middle was strawberries and cream, and the top was chocolate with peanut butter filling.

The couple stood behind the cake, allowing the hired photographer to snap pictures, including one when they caught each other's eyes before taking the knife into both of their hands. She giggled as they remove the first piece, once she realized what color the vanilla cake had been turned. Rafael placed a small kiss to her pink lips, "It's a girl!" The room cheered as they stepped back to receive their congratulations as the servers began to cut up different slices for everyone to choose from. "Congratulations, carino."

She sighed, happily, pulling him into a kiss, "a daughter."

"She's not leaving the house until she's thirty," he paused, "maybe forty."

Annabelle threw her head back in laughter, "she'll do as she wishes. Her daddy's an ADA…she'll know that you'll arrest anyone who hurts her."

"Olivia will. I'll just get them convicted." He gestured to the small white plates, now covered with cake, "what kind do you want?" She hesitated, biting her lip, "You want some of them all, don't you?"

She nodded, averting her eyes, "but I don't need them. One piece is pushing it." She watched as he picked up three plates, "Raf, I don't need that much cake. My feet will swell even more than normally."

He didn't reply, instead choosing to keep walking towards their table, where Noah was already covering a chocolate covered face. He sat one plate in front of her seat, one in front of his, and one between the set. "we can share." She smiled, raising the vanilla bean covered fork to his mouth.

-xXx-

"I think you're probably the prettiest pregnant woman I've ever seen."

Annabelle blushed, breaking eye contact, "thanks, Tom." She exited the building, almost running into Sonny, when she turned to wave at Tom who had shouted his farewells to her. "Sorry. Oh, hey." She turned her head, following the line of students taking a tour of the campus. "What are ya'll doing here? Still trying to figure out who tall, white, and raping is?"

Amanda smirked, "that's one way to put it." "Maybe you can help us."

Annabelle shrugged, "I'm here three days a week. Maybe I can. Join me in my office? Or," she trailed off watching as Amanda unlocked her phone, before holding up the device to be in Annabelle's line of sight. "That's Tom."

"You know him?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure of his last name, but he's a security guard here."

"You're a life saver," Sonny kissed her cheek, as the duo left the temporary professor, in search of Tom's full identity. She made her way towards where she had parked Rafael's range rover, as she had started taking it to work each day, since she wasn't able to take the subway as easily any longer.

When she finally made it home, she walked into a delicious smell, "Is that spaghetti?" Rafael nodded his head when she entered the kitchen, "how was your day?"

"A lot better than yesterday," he kissed her puffy cheek, "and I hear that it has a lot to do with you. You really do know everything, don't you?"

Annabelle blushed, "I just told them who someone was. Tom's been around me, pretty much since the day I started teaching."

"Has he ever tried anything with you?" She shot him a look, causing him to nod to himself, "right. Stupid question." He held up a spoonful of sauce towards her mouth, which is nodded in delight as the flavors hit her taste buds, "go ahead and change. It'll be about ten minutes."

-xXx-

"What are you doing here?"

Annabelle winced as her daughter landed a particularly forceful kick to her left rib, "You know that representation from Hudson?" Rafael nodded, "You're looking at her. Apparently, I'm the perfect choice since I have connections to everyone in the squad, and because I work at Attention Inc." She clapped her hands together, forcing a smile, "Let's get this party started. And by party, I mean…feed me. Please." As they were leaving for the day, they were joined by Olivia, who instantly began discussing the case. "Do I need to leave?"

"You never have before." She shrugged at Rafael's words, walking with the two who slowed their paces to match her waddle. "This sounds like rape by fraud. The problem is that doesn't exist in New York criminal code."

"I know," Olivia threw her arms out, "but we can't let this guy walk. There's gotta be some statute or theory that we can use to prosecute this kind of vile behavior."

"People versus Hough. 1994. A twin tricks his brother's wife into having sex with him. The court rules there is wrong doing, but no crime is committed, since the law doesn't cover that type of behavior."

"Okay, maybe it's time we update New York law." "Here, here." Olivia continued, as if Annabelle hadn't spoke, "into the 21st century."

Rafael paused, "well, there have been rumblings about a new bill in the legislature. Okay, so this could kickstart things. Are you sure the victim is willing to testify?"

"I will talk to her."

"And our repugnant ladies' man…he's done this before?"

"Well, it sounds like it. He told Carisi that he was writing a book. About his various conquests."

Rafael nodded, a suggestive smirk forming, "if we can establish a consistent pattern, it would help sway the jury."

"Great. I'll need a warrant to keep digging." She squeezed Annabelle's hand in goodbye, once Rafael nodded that he would procure a warrant, the married couple continuing their journey towards the food.

-xXx-

She winced in pain, her hands automatically coming to cradle her stomach, "Jesus, kid."

"You okay, Professor Barba?"

She nodded, glancing at one of her students, "Yes. This child is just trying to break something vital." She took a deep breath, relaxing once the pain went away. "Sorry, what can I hope you with?"

"I'm having problems with my _Oracle_ paper. I just can't figure out how to analyze the poem. I don't like poetry, and it obviously doesn't like me."

She chuckled, "I used to feel the same way," she struggled to stand up, waving the junior off when he went to help her, "thanks though," she let out a sigh of relief when she finally made her way to her feet, "Let's head to my office, and we can work through the piece."

Two hours later, she was eating a bowl of Apple Jacks, in the middle of the couch in the den, when the door slammed open, Rafael's heavy footsteps sounding down the hallway. "Hey babe." She cringed when the briefcase landed harshly on the wooden floor, "bad day?"

"The judge told me to drop the case."

"What?!" She abandoned her half empty bowl, "He can't do that!"

"He didn't directly say that. I mean, it would be an abuse of judicial power, but he said it."

She rolled her eyes, "freaking dick. Want me to go punch him? We can blame it on hormones."

Rafael's stern face eased up as he cracked a smile, "thanks, but it'll be okay. I'm not dropping it."

The next day, Annabelle sat in the second row, looking at her husband in his semi-dark grey suit, his shirt was a lighter shade of grey and white checkered, his tie, a mixture of blues. The redhead shifted, uncomfortable on the hard-wooden bench, adjusting her knee length dark purple dress, her eyes never leaving the judge.

"Laura Collette met the defendant on the campus of Hudson University. He pretended to be a man named Alden Kessler, the director of Admissions at Hudson. Laura and the defendant began to communicate, socialize, and eventually they had sex. But, Laura Collette thought she was having sex with Alden Kessler, a distinguished academic from Philadelphia, and a graduate of Harvard. Not Tom Metcalf, and undistinguished security guard from Ridgewood, Queens. And a graduate of PS 346. As such, Laura Collette, never consented to having sex with the defendant. She consented to having sex with Alden Kessler. This, ladies and gentlemen, is not a lie. Not a clever rouse. It's rape."

She knew something had went wrong, the moment Rafael rushed into a standing position when the defense called their first witness. She gasped as sharp pain shot through her, causing Sonny to lean forward, "you alright?"

"Braxton Hicks. I'm beginning to hate my husband, but I'm fine."


	25. Labor & Delivery

Annabelle winced at the frown that formed on Rafael's face as the baby quit kicking, "why won't you let me feel you, angel?"

"I'm sorry, Raf." He sighed, standing up to finish taking his work clothes off. "I don't get it. She kicks everyone else. Maybe she's just getting a head start on being tu princesa?"

"You're already 33 weeks. She won't be moving around much longer."

She smirked, wrapping around his body the best she could, her stomach pressing tightly against his, "Maybe we should just stay connected."

His hands rested against her back, palms pressing into the knotted muscles, causing her to groan in pleasure, "have you eaten today, carino?"

She shook her head, "but I'd kill for some macaroni and cheese now."

He chuckled, pulling away after kissing her forehead, "go ahead and get dressed. I'll get some started."

After slipping on the pair of jean shorts and the white t shirt, Annabelle ate her fill of macaroni, before the couple headed for that week's doctor's appointment.

-xXx-

Annabelle shifted as her daughter moved into yet another uncomfortable position, doing her best to alleviate the pain from where she was sitting in the large leather chair inside her office at Hudson. "Stop moving you little demon," she hissed, pressing her hand against her left side.

"Are you okay?"

Her eyes flickered to the man standing in the open doorway, her brain trying to figure out how she knew him, before she nodded, relaxing as the pain lessened, "Peachy." Shaking her head to clear, she shuffled the papers she had been studying about different kinds of births, "How can I help you?"

He took the seat she gestured to, his hands coming to the front of his body, revealing the navy-blue folder, "I had a few questions about my final project." He opened the folder with a smirk, thought his face was angled down and she couldn't see the expression, as he brought out a few pages, "I'm discussing how being sexually tormented effects one's life."

"Okay. What problems are you running into?"

"I haven't been able to interview any of the victims of my chosen killer…because they're dead."

"Oh. Where was he based? Maybe you can talk to the police about it for a few details?"

"New York," she nodded at his words, "and Chicago."

Her shoulders tensed, "who are you researching?"

"Greg Yates. Have you heard of him?"

"A bit. I'll make a couple of calls, SVU will probably be able to help you out."

"Thanks," he stood to leave, pausing at the doorway, to look at the still tense professor, "Or, I can just call you. Afterall, he sexually assaulted you," his voice turned soft, "even if you don't want your pathetic husband to know." He was gone before Annabelle was able to think of a reply, leaving her a shaking mess.

-xXx-

"Benson."

Annabelle winced at the business-like tone that graced her ears, three hours after the incident in her office, "Hey, Liv."

"Are you okay? You sound upset."

"Uhm, sorta. I, well, some guy came by my office and it weirded me out. But I'm fine. Anyway, I called to see if you wanted to do a girl's day? You, me, and Manda."

"Sounds great. Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I have to go to my other office for a couple of hours, but afterwards would be great." She hissed as her daughter landed a rough kick to her ribs, "this child is slowly killing me."

"She's ready to come meet you," Olivia chuckled.

"She needs to quit meeting my ribcage," Annabelle laughed, closing out the windows on her computer as she saved the documents. "Okay, I'm going to get off here, and go home. I need a nap."

"Alright. Be safe, if you need anything, call me."

"I will." The two hung up, before Annabelle struggled for a few minutes to stand up before succeeding and picking her bag up from the top of her desk, locking the door on her way out.

-xXx-

"Only six weeks left, angel." Annabelle rubbed her stomach, whispering to her unborn daughter as she waited in the doctor's room for Dr. Grundy to make her arrival. "Daddy will be here as soon as he can." She jumped as a light knock sounded, before the white coat slipped inside.

"How are you feeling, Anna?"

"Tired," she laughed slightly, getting into the usual position for the greying lady to check on her child.

"Your weight is on target, and your blood pressure seems to be really good. A lot better than I usually see in first time mothers." Annabelle gave a little smile, relaxing a little as the ultra sound gel was squirted onto her stomach, Now, have you been having any cramping or contractions at all?"

She shook her head, "just a few Braxton Hicks, which you told me was possible."

The doctor nodded, "I did," They both looked at the screen when a heartbeat filled the room, "A nice, strong heartbeat." She moved the camera around, letting the expectant mom see more, "today we just need to test your Group B Streptococcus, and then I'll take a urine sample to check your sugar and protein levels, then you'll be good to go."

Five hours later, Annabelle was dipping a pickle into her half empty jar of peanut butter as she read a report from one of her underlies at Attention Inc, refuses to look towards the entrance when she heard the door open and close. "Hola carino."

"Hey," she eyed him as he poured himself a glass of whiskey, before grabbing a still warm chocolate chip cookie and spooning a thick dollop on a portion of it. "Busy day?"

He made a sound of affirmation as he took a long sip of the burning liquid, before nodding when his had his fill, "motions court, but it wasn't too bad." Finishing his drink, he swiped a cookie from her plate, throwing her a grin, "what'd you do today?"

"Oh, nothing much. Had a conference call, went to the doctor, made some cookies."

"Why'd you go to the doctor? Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nope. Just my 36 weeks checkup."

"That's tomorrow?"

"Nope. Today. 1pm."

"No. Carmen wrote it down for me. It's tomorrow."

"Rafael, it was today. We're both fine, no worries." With those words, she heaved herself from the bar stool and left him in the kitchen.

-xXx-

"Why do you have a pillow between your legs?"

Annabelle turned her head, eyes locking onto the forms of Amanda and Sonny, "My doctor said it'll help with my back. It does." She pulled the pillow from its confinement, "Thanks for coming." She thrust her hand out towards the pair, "now help me up."

"How'd you con Benson into letting us come do this?"

She raised her head, throwing a grin towards the taller man, the moment he had got her completely settled onto her feet, "I told her she could be godmother." She panted as she struggled to catch her breath, "if she could leave my lungs alone, I'd be a lot happier." Grabbing a pair of jean shorts, she slipped them up her long legs, before throwing on a loose t-shirt with a faded saying about using handcuffs. She frowned when she noticed how much tighter it was across her chest, before shaking her head and exiting the comforts of her bedroom. Making it into the kitchen, she smirked catching sight of the two talking at the breakfast counter, "Help yourself to some coffee," her smirk blooming into a teasing smile as they looked at their half empty cups in guilt. She waved off any explanations they were about to give, pulling a bottle of apple juice from the fridge, taking a long drink before grabbing a container of strawberries. "Smoothie?"

The two partners stayed while the expectant mother made herself a strawberry-banana smoothie and pancakes, before they left to go back to the precinct, and Annabelle headed to Hudson for her office hours, refusing to dress up like she normally did, as she was only supposed to be there for about two hours. Exactly an hour and a half later, Rafael was knocking on the door, "you ready, love?"

She nodded, pushing herself away from the desk, accepting his hands as she stood up, "Can't believe we have three weeks left."

-xXx-

"She seems to be about 6 pounds, and her heartrate is perfect. Are you still feeling her move around as much?"

Annabelle shook her head, "Maybe three or four times a day now. There not as painful either, thank God," she giggled a bit.

Dr. Grundy smiled at the woman before turning towards Rafael, "Have you felt her kick yet?" when he answered negatively, the doctor nodded in understanding, "It happens sometimes. My youngest wouldn't let my husband feel her until I was ten days overdue."

"This child better be out of me before then."

The group shared a small smile, before the older woman spoke again, "the only thing I'm worried about is your blood pressure. It has been high for your past two appointments, which means," she fixed the pregnant woman with a stern stare, "bed rest for you."

Annabelle sighed, "for how long?"

"Until your daughter makes an appearance. I want you to stay in bed, unless you are eating or coming to see me. Got it?"

"She'll do it," Annabelle glared at her husband when he answered her doctor, before her mind started to frantically work to figure out what to do for the next three weeks of classes.

-xXx-

 _Good morning,_

 _I just wanted to let you know that my doctor has put me on bed rest, until further notice, which means that I will not be in any of the final classes. I told ya'll I had a plan at the beginning, and I will be holding class via Skype each day. I know it isn't something ideal, but I'd hate to make everyone have to work with another professor for the final three weeks, especially if everyone finishing up their final projects. I will have someone there to get your assignments on the days that they are due, which means that I absolutely will not be accepting any late work. If you have any questions about any of the assignments, including your finals, please send me an email and we can work on your issues._

 _Thanks, Annabelle Barba_

Sending out the email to her three classes, send closed the laptop and scooted down until she could lay down, already disliking the ordered bedrest. "Do you need anything to drink?" She shook her head. "You hungry? Are you warm enough?"

"Raf, I'm fine," a yawn slipped it's way past her slightly chapped lips, "I think I'm just gonna take a nap. Love you."

When she woke up, it was dark outside, and she wasn't entirely sure what time it was, except for the fact that it must have been late as Rafael's arm was curled around her waist, and their daughter was playing the drums against her stomach. She shook his arm the best she could, "wake up."

"What's wrong?" He paused, his hand flexing against her belly button, "Is that?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, princesa." She didn't have to be looking at him to know that a smile was attached to his face, and he was silent until the movements stopped, "I felt her."

"Night, love."

"Night, darling. Thank you for my daughter."

-xXx-

"You seem happy."

Annabelle smiled from where she was sitting in the teal painted wooden rocker that sat in the corner of her unborn daughter's bedroom, "I can breathe today, too. I think she finally moved off of my lungs," she gave a small chuckle, her eyes roaming the newly finished nursery. "I'm so impressed with ya'll."

Rafael glanced at the three grey walls, before landing on the single teal wall where the white crib was placed, "You've never told me why you chose teal and yellow?"

Annabelle shrugged, "I didn't want the typical pink room. Now it's just grey with pretty little colors. I like that book case a lot," she giggled, "it makes me happy." He grinned at her excitement as her green eyes looked at the tall wooden structure, each of the eight squares were filled with things. The top two shelves were children's books, the other six squares had cute trinkets and other knick-knacks, including a small stuffed Nemo from her cousin, Louise.

A loud hiss left her teeth, her hands instantly cradling her stomach, making Rafael look at her in alarm, "What's wrong?"

"Damn Braxton Hicks." She relaxed as the pain disappeared, "they've been happening all day. I'm not sure if she's gonna make it the final two weeks or not."

"The doctor said to call her if you started having contractions."

"I'm not having contractions," she stopped, holding her breath," I'm only at 40 weeks. She's too stubborn to come early."

He made a sound of disbelief, "whatever you say, darling." He kissed her forehead, "I'm going to shower this day away." Twenty minutes later, he walked into the kitchen where she was ignoring what looked to be a half-eaten peanut butter and pickle sandwich, her hand pressing on her lower back. Looking at the floor and then the half empty glass on the counter, he gave her a small smirk, "Spill your drink?"

She glared at the Cuban, "No. That would be my water." Annabelle held her breath as another pain hit her, "it broke five minutes ago. I think we need to go to the hospital."

"What?"

He continued to stare at her in frozen panic for longer than she deemed necessary, "damnit, Rafael Barba. Let's go."

He jumped, as if she slapped him, "right. Stay there. I'll get the bags."

She smiled, knowing it was the first time she had ever seen the man flustered, before pulling up her contact information, to call the people that needed to know.

-xXx-

"Looks like you're at a seven right now."

Annabelle groaned, throwing her head back in frustration as she felt Dr. Grundy's hands tap her knee. "it's been nine hours. Why won't she get out?"

Grundy gave the 27-year-old a smile, "These things take time. She's nice and warm right now. Wouldn't you want to stay that way for as long as you could?"

"No. I'd want to quit torturing my mother."

Rafael's thumb stroked the back of her hand, "you're doing great, carino." She didn't reply, her entire body tensing as a stronger contraction hit.

-xXx-

"Alright, Anna, when the next contraction comes, I want you to push, okay?" Annabelle nodded, sweat matting her hair down on her forehead. "Push, Anna."

"You're doing so good, love."

"This is all your fault," the redhead hissed between her teeth, panting as the contraction ended, "I hate you."

She felt his lips brush her sticky head, "I love you, too."

It wasn't until after the next contraction that she realized Dr. Grundy was having a rushed conversation with a nurse, before the greying woman addressed her, "Anna, I need you to quit pushing, okay?" The nurse hurried from the room.

"Why?!"

"I need you both to stay calm. Maria is going to bring in the anesthesia, and we're going to get you set up for a c-section, okay?" As the woman was speaking, she was checking vitals and grabbing things from around the room.

"What's wrong?!"

Another contraction racked through her body, causing her to clinch her fists, "Do not push, Anna." Grundy set up a blue screen, separating the auburn-haired lady's body in half and blocking the view Annabelle had of her stomach. Maria walked in, "IV in now. Mr. Barba, I need you to step out of the room, please." She motioned to a nurse that had followed Maria in, "Alex will take you to the waiting room your friends are in. I'll come get you as soon as we're finished."

Annabelle didn't hear anything else from the conversation, a small scream ripping from her throat as a sharper pain than before tore through her body. A few minutes later, the contractions seemed to be slowing down and the pain seemed to be lessening, "tell me if you feel anything, okay, Anna?" Annabelle knew something was happening, even if she couldn't feel anything, "I've given you some pain meds and something to slow your natural labor," Grundy's breath was slightly labored, the sign that she was tense.

-xXx-

Annabelle groaned, her eyes opened for less than ten seconds before she slammed them shut against the harsh hospital lighting. "lights."

She heard shuffling before his voice graced her ears, "there off. How you feel, carino?"

"Like I'm dying."

He chuckled, but there didn't seem to be any humor in the sound at all, "you almost did."


	26. doctors & newborns

It's a short chapter, sorry about that, but I wanted to get this one posted. Surgery ended up taking a bit more out of me than I had expected, but I'm on bedrest until the 24th, at least, so it'll give me a chance to write AT LEAST three more chapters, yeah? Also, thanks to the new followers and favorites – yall are the best! Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Chapter 26

"You had an umbilical cord prolapse, which is when the cord slips into the vagina, which could flatten during a natural vagina birth."

"So, you gave me a c-section."

"Yes. During which you began to have excessive bleeding, a risk that comes with a c-section in even the best circumstances."

Her eyes widened, "how's the baby?"

"She's perfectly healthy. We'll keep the both of you for at least another five days, possibly longer depending on how you're healing." Annabelle nodded. "Have you decided if you're going to breastfeed or not?"

"Yeah. That was the plan, at least."

"That's fine. We gave her formula while you've been out, but we'll let you feed her next time. Now, when you leave, you can not lift anything for at least six weeks. You have to take it easy, until your incision heals, alright?"

"When can I meet her?"

"I'll have someone bring her to you now." The woman smiled, "congratulations, Anna, she's beautiful."

It took less than ten minutes before Maria was bringing her now day-old daughter into the still dimly lit room. Carefully cradling her daughter, a smile instantly rose upon her face, as she took in the olive skin, a shade that was a mixture between her own and Rafael's, and the dark bundle of hair atop her head was already forming the same curls her mother grew up with. Her lips were puckered into a pout, causing Annabelle to gently run her fingertip over her chubby little cheeks. "Perfect." She looked up at Maria, who had been quietly checking the new mom's vitals, "do you know where Rafael is, by chance?"

"He went down to get some coffee. He hasn't left your side." She finished up the last thing she was checking, before going to leave, "when she gets hungry, call for me and I'll help you get situated to feed her." With Annabelle's quiet reply, the Hispanic woman left the room.

"I feel that ice is slowly melting. Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear."

"I haven't heard you sing that in months." She jumped at the voice, her head turning to look at her jean clad husband leaning in the doorway. "She's perfect." He pushed himself off the wooden frame, "and you," he planted a quick kiss against her pale lips, "are the most amazing woman I've ever met."

"I love you." He pulled the small leather recliner closer to the hospital bed, taking hold of his wife's hand, the topside of his hand brushing against his daughter's leg. "Have you slept?"

"You saying I look tired?"

She smiled at the twinkle in his eyes, "Unless those bags under your eyes are designer, then yes." The wailing of his daughter cut off any reply he had, causing the couple to wince at the volume. "Maybe she's hungry," Annabelle wasn't entirely sure, but she did know that she wasn't dirty. Pressing the call button on the side of the bed, they didn't have to wait very long before Maria came bustling inside. "Help me."

The older nurse gave a small laugh, "she's probably hungry." The woman undid the back of Annabelle's gown, revealing her breast, "so you're going to turn her entire body towards you. Just let her upper lip touch your nipple." The moment the baby's mouth opened, Maria pressed the newborn to the exposed breast, grabbing hold of Annabelle's breast, "You're going to hold yourself so that you can support her eating," her other hand came up and touched around the part that was mostly covered by the feasting child, "you see how she has the entire nipple and a bit of the areola?" With Annabelle's nod, she continued, "you want her to have as much as the areola as possible. It's going to help her get more of the colostrum. Any pain?"

"No. Just strange," Annabelle gave a slightly uncomfortable giggle, causing Maria to smile at her in understanding.

"It'll get better. You'll be able to tell when she's full. It can last awhile. If you need anything, just call for me."

"Thanks, Maria." She watched her daughter suckle, before glancing up at her husband, to find him staring at her, "what?"

"That's a wonderful sight."

Once she was finished, Rafael placed his daughter into her clear hospital bassinet, sliding the small pink blanket over her legs, allowing both mother and daughter to rest for a few minutes of uninterrupted silence. Annabelle jerked awake the moment the door reopened, and the hallway light flooded the room. "What's wrong?"

The blonde nurse smiled, "sorry. I didn't realize it opened so easily."

"it's okay," was Rafael's reply as Annabelle just fell back onto the pillow, trying to pretend she didn't cause herself pain when she rose up so quickly.

"I just came in to have you fill out the birth certificate." Dropping the slip off the thick sheet, the young nurse left the room, allowing the new parents to fill out the information themselves.

Grabbing the pen, Annabelle looked at her husband when she saw the first two parts, "length and weight?"

"18.6 inches and 6.2 pounds."

"Was she really that small?"

"Yes, and still absolutely perfect. 100% healthy."

She gave him a small smile, feeling like a slight failure as their daughter was over a pound less than the doctor said she should weigh. "Parents' names…Annabelle Daniella…Johnny Depp." She smirked at the affronted look on his face, "Kidding. Rafael Xavier." He came closer when she motioned for him to do so with her finger, where she pressed a long kiss to his plump lips, "you've probably got a bigger dick." Laughing at his new expression, she turned back to the birth certificate, "baby's name."

-xXx-

Annabelle woke up to voices filling her small room. As her brain joined her body in awareness, she realized who it was. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, mama." She shot a smile at Fin, before pushing herself up into a better sitting position, so that she could see the SVU squad a bit easier.

"How are you feeling?"

She nodded at Carisi, "Sore. Worth it, but sore," she chuckled a bit at the end of that sentence, her eyes going to Olivia, who was cradling the newest Barba with a smile on her face. "It feels like I haven't seen of ya'll in months. What have I missed?"

"Carisi has a girlfriend." Green eyes shifted from the Staten Island native to the southern woman next to him, both of whom were blushing slightly at Fin's words.

Annabelle smirked, "Anyone I know?"

"She's just a friend!" She laughed at the smug look on Fin's face as Sonny denied the relationship quickly…and loudly. "She is."

"Suuree." Noticing that he was about to protest again, she looked towards Olivia, "anything else happening besides Sonny's not so fake girlfriend?" Olivia's reply was cut short when the baby began wailing in her arms, and Annabelle motioned for the woman to give the little girl to her, "she's probably hungry."

"That's my cue." She giggled as Carisi quickly made his way from the room, followed by the rest of the squad as she untied the blue gown the moment the door clicked shut.

-xXx-

Annabelle stood slowly as she slipped her ankle boots on, the black color matching the skinny jeans, before she pulled the long-sleeved olive-green shirt on, leaving it unbuttoned to showcase the grey tee underneath. Her slightly longer than shoulder length was in a messy ponytail at the crown of her head, a few loose strands giving her difficulty as she walked her way to the clear bassinet that her daughter currently lay in, already dressed in a white long sleeved onesie that said "worth the wait" in silver and pink, with a glittery pink heart centered between two silver ones at the bottom of the words. Gently pulling up a pair of grey pants on top of her bare legs, she then placed a grey beanie on top of the dark curls, the pink bow on the front centered on the girl's head. "Let's go home, princesa."

Once she placed the newborn into her green and grey, she made her way to the door, only to stop as Nurse Maria stood in the hallway with a wheelchair. "Where do you think you're going?"

She sighed, "I was hoping to escape having to use that contraction."

"Nope." She motioned to the chair, "in you get. Mr. Barba can take your daughter." She scowled when Rafael appeared with a smile, instantly relieving her of the heavy seat, his hand gesturing for her to get into the seat.

"I've already got the car at the entrance for you, carino."

"Ya'll suck."

Maria patted the young mom's shoulder as she began moving them through the corridor, "enjoy this, because once you get home…it's over."

"Are you trying to scare me?" She paused, to glance up at the older woman, who she recently learned was from Puerta Rico, "Cause it's working."

"Not at all. You'll get used to not having sleep, the moment she decides to sleep through the night." The group was quiet for the rest of the trip to the entrance, only being broke as they stopped in front of the range rover, "you have my number. Call me if you need anything, or have any questions, alright?"

"Okay," she gave the woman a brief hug before sliding into the front seat, allowing Rafael to put the baby girl in the backseat, with almost the same amount of confidence he has in the courtroom.

She gave a soft smile when he got into the driver's seat, the black of the seatbelt contrasting with the light blue polo he had paired with his jeans. Slipping his fingers through hers, he brought her palm to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to it, "let's go home."

-xXx-

"Your turn," the words were mumbled as she slapped her husband's arm. His reply was unintelligible, causing her to hit him again, before groaning as she pressed herself from the comfortable mattress. "You suck." Annabelle shuffled across the room, her body cringing as the soles of her feet hit repeatedly met the cold wood, "shh, sweetheart. Momma's here." She kept whispering sweet nothings to her daughter as she took the elevator up to the nursery to sit in the rocking chair.

The two-week-old infant suckled on her mother's breast as they pair rocked gently, the sounds of ocean soothing them from the monitor on the shelf. An hour later, Rafael found them still sitting in the rocker, both of his girls sleeping soundly. Picking the small bundle from his wife's arms, he smiled when Annabelle jerked awake, before relaxing the moment her eyes landed on him. "come back to bed."

-xXx-

"How is she sleeping at night?"

Annabelle watched at Dr. Wren performed the one-month check-up. "she sleeps about three hours at a time. Wakes up to eat, then back to sleep."

"Good." The young doctor tapped the baby's nose with a smile, "good girl." She watched at the man weighed the newborn, "Looks like she's gained about half a pound, and she's just a little bit bigger." The doctor looked back to the new mother, "how often does she eat?"

"Uhm, about fifteen minutes every three or so hours."

"Okay, I'm going to send some vitamin D drops home with you. We recommend that for most breastfed babies, but everything else looks to be going well. I'll send the nurse in to give her the second hep B."

Annabelle nodded, "Thank you." The two were leaving the office less than fifteen minutes later, the baby still a bit fussy. Once the little girl was happily sleeping in her crib, Annabelle took a moment to post one of the photos they had taken on the day home from the hospital on Instagram, the first photo of her daughter on her social media. _Catalina Elizabeth Barba_


	27. Career Changes & Banquet Bombs

I told ya'll it wouldn't take another week before a new chapter was posted. I decided it was time for Annabelle to make some changes…and keep a few more secrets from her husband. Enjoy, and let me know what you think? I'd appreciate it a lot! Nikolle

Chapter 27

"Have you ever thought about joining the academy?"

Annabelle looked towards Fin, pen still poised in her hand to write down the information he needed, "No. I'd be a horrible cop."

"I don't think so. You're here all the time and help with the cases. I think it's something you think about."

"I wouldn't be able to shoot someone."

He shrugged, "there are plenty of cops who have never shot anyone." She finished writing down the address the squad needed, giving the paper to the detective without a word, he patted the stack of papers he had originally sat down before he began walking from the room, "think about it."

She continued working, eyes shifting towards the papers, more often than they should be, before she gave up, fingers slowly picking the pages up with a sigh. "Age requirements education requirements, etc, etc…" She kept flipping through the pages, silently reading the information, only to jump when she heard Catalina crying. Shoving the papers into a previously discarded folder, she quickly made her way up the stairs to where the three-month-old had been sleeping.

-xXx-

"What if I want to work in SVU? Would I have to be a detective, or could I do it as a regular officer?"

Fin looked up at Annabelle's sudden arrival, taking note of how quite her voice was, "You don't get to choose where you are as an officer, but it's possible for you to get placed here in the draw."

She bit her unpainted lip, "I don't think I'd be good anywhere but SVU."

"Once you leave the academy, it only takes a year on the street before you can be a detective."

"Really? A year? That's it?"

Fin nodded, "maybe quicker, depending on who you know and how good your arrest rate is."

"Think Dodds would hook me up?"

Fin chuckled, bringing a small bit of laughter from Annabelle, "You'd probably get called a suck up or something."

She shrugged, "I haven't even talked to Rafael yet. I just, haven't been able to stop thinking about it since you dropped the papers off last week."

The detective patted her hand, "talk about it with Barba. Talk to Liv, hell, even Dodds, no one is going to lie to you about how it'll be." She nodded, giving Finn a smile, before heading from the precinct, retuning to her husband's office to pick up their daughter.

-xXx-

"Cadet Barba." The stern tone of voice caused Annabelle to stand up straighter as the two men were approaching the line of trainee officers she was in. "At ease, cadet."

"Hi, chief."

"Walk with me," the woman separated from the line of other cadets, allowing Chief Dodds to lead her towards the other side of the room, away from her commanding officers, "I spoke to Tutuola. Why didn't you come to me about this?"

Annabelle shrugged, wishing her hair wasn't in such a tight bun at the nap of her neck, "I haven't even told Rafael yet. I thought about it for a few weeks, and then submitted my papers. I didn't realize it was the final day for submissions, or I would've come to you. I wanted your opinion."

"He said you wanted to work in SVU." She nodded, hands slipping into her navy pants, "as a detective?"

"That's the dream, but I know that I'll have to work a year in the field before I even have a chance at that."

"About that. You've been working with the squad for over a year with that job at…"

"Attention Inc."

"Right. Attention Inc. You've basically been part of the squad."

"What are you saying, William?"

He stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning to face the blue shirted woman, "I'm saying that you've put in your dues, and once you graduate the academy…you will be going straight to Manhattan SVU."

"William, I can't ask that of you."

"You're not. I'm giving it to you, because you have earned it. I'll let you tell everyone. Congratulations, Anna."

She smiled, giving the man a quick hug, "thanks, William."

-xXx-

Annabelle made her way slowly into the house, smiling when she caught sight of Tyler stirring away at something on the stove. "How was she today, Ty?" The brunette turned around, a hand flying to her chest, as she looked at the form of her boss, "sorry about that."

The college freshman let out a slight laugh, "it's okay. I didn't hear you come in."

"I wasn't sure if Catalina was sleeping or not. What are you making?"

"Spaghetti sauce. I didn't know when you and Mr. Barba would be home, so I figured I could start dinner for you."

"You didn't have to do that but thank you." Pulling her phone from her back she smiled at the message, before looking back up at student, "He'll be home in about thirty. You're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like."

"Thanks, but I have a paper to finish. She fell asleep about fifteen minutes before you came home. The noodles have about three minutes left. I just opened the sauce before you came in."

Annabelle nodded, "Thanks, Ty. Do you care to stay a few more minutes to let me change?"

"No problem!" She darted up the stairs to her bedroom, where she quickly changed out of her academy clothing, tossing them in the bottom of her hamper, before she slipped into a pair of black and pink plaid shorts and a black tank top, taking the elevator back down, she pulled her hair into a quick, loose braid that fell down her back. Tyler didn't look up as she padded back into the kitchen, "breadsticks need about two minutes, but everything else is done."

Annabelle grinned at the babysitter, "you definitely need a raise."

Tyler giggled, "I'll never turn down money. I'll see you Monday?"

Annabelle nodded, "sounds good. Be careful getting home tonight."

Fifteen minutes later, the couple was eating the spaghetti and breadsticks in a comfortable silence, only broken by the clinking of their silverware. "How was your day?"

Annabelle shrugged, "It was fine. I guess I should tell you that I decided against getting my master's degree."

"Any particular reason why?"

She hesitated, taking a long drink of her water, "I was talking to Fin a couple of months ago, and he said something about be joining the police academy."

"You wanna be a cop?" The disbelief in his voice made her narrow her eyes towards her spaghetti, her fork playing with the long noodles. He must have noticed her silence, "I'll support you, I mean, if that's something you want to do, I guess. When would you start?"

"That's the thing," she stopped speaking as she shoved another forkful of noodles into her mouth, the process of chewing giving her the time to sort out the words in her head, "I already did."

"Excuse me?"

"I started it awhile ago. He brought the subject up when I was still on maternity leave."

"So, you just decided to do something that will effect the entire family without even telling me?"

"Babe, I tried to talk to you, but you blew me off…twice. So, I just gave up. The only people who know to my knowledge is Fin and William."

"William?"

"Chief Dodds."

"You told Dodds before you told me? Dodds."

"Fin told Dodds. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, he came by today, and…" she trailed off, sighing when her daughter began screaming over the monitor. "hold that thought."

-xXx-

Pulling the newly six-month-old from the car seat, Annabelle adjusted the red tulle that made up Catalina's poufy red skirt. Once the black headband was straightened, the duo began making their way into Hogan Place. Shaking her head at Carmen's empty desk, she knocked on the door to Rafael's office. "Come in."

Grinning at how quickly Catalina turned her head, she pushed the heavy wooden door wide open, "trick or treat, daddy."

"There's my beautiful girl." Placing a quick kiss to his wife's cheek, he pulled their daughter into his arms, "such a pretty Minnie she is." Annabelle plopped onto the leather couch as she watched the two interact. After a few more minutes of tickles, the infant was placed in the floor and a couple of the toys left in Rafael's office were sat in front of her, where she was banging them together while doing her normal babbles. "And you, look beautiful, too," Rafael smiled placing a lingering kiss on Annabelle's blood red lips. "Is that my tie?"

She giggled as he fingered the silk material around her neck, "Yeah." She gestured to the above knee length grey skirt and white button up, "It went with the outfit."

"I can't believe you're a school girl."

"Uh no. I'm a Slytherin. See the tie? And the oversized green cardigan?"

"I'm a bit distracted by the thighs and the legs, and the fact that I know exactly what's under that shirt."

"Raf," she moved her legs, unintentionally revealing more of her thighs.

"You never dress up like this for me."

"You have a school girl fetish?" The look he gave her caused laughter to spill over, "I'm kidding. I'm sorry." Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his, her upper body conforming against his.

His left hand came up, caressing her thighs, fingertips grazing the lace covering her backside, while the other gently held her waist. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll wear this for you anytime you like." He stayed silent as he watched as she fell back into her previous position, "We're gonna drop by the precinct after we leave you."

"Have fun trick or treating?"

"Yeah. It was good. She loved seeing your mom, and abuelita gave her Mexican chocolate."

The thirty-seven-year-old smiled, knowing that it was something that his grandmother would do. "And she's still wide awake?"

She nodded, gazing at her daughter, "I figure she'll pass out on the way home. But, she made bank on the candy tonight. The was full."

"And you're going to eat it all?"

"I'll share!"

"Mhm. I'm sure you will," he sighed, "I don't want to go back to work."

"But ya gotta. I get it," she stood up, using his tie to pull him closer, molding their bodies together, as she kissed him, deepening when his hands gripped her backside. She reluctantly pulled away, "I'll see you at home, Romeo."

"Keep the outfit on." She smiled at the roguish grin that formed on his plump lips, before it turned into his usual loving smile as he picked Catalina up from the carpet.

-xXx-

"Happy Halloween!" Carisi stopped what he was doing, instead choosing to walk in their direction, "hey, there's uncle Sonny."

"ba ba ba ba," Catalina babbled on, reaching her chubby arms out to the Staten Island native, who took her into his arms quickly.

"I think that means hi in Catalina speak."

"Of course, it does," he turned his head to address the infant, his voice changing as he spoke, "yes, it does, doesn't it, pretty girl." He took a few more minutes to cuddle the little girl, before handing her back to Annabelle, "I'm supposed to be doing an interview right now, but I'll see you before you leave, I hope."

"Sounds good," she gave the older man a side hug, "have fun." A few steps later, she was knocking on Olivia's open-door frame, "thought you were going home early?"

"If only. Possible rape."

Annabelle nodded in understanding, "Lucia said Noah had been by tonight before I got there with Lina. Swing by tomorrow and we'll share Minnie's stash. And dinner, of course."

"Alright."

"Here's the coffee."

Both women turned when Carisi walked in, Styrofoam cup in his hand, "I'll take that as my cue. Have a good night, guys," she gently grabbed Catalina's hand, making her wave at the pair, "say bye bye," before shaking her head with a laugh, and releasing the created fist, "nothing."

-xXx-

Annabelle stood out on the concrete steps, pausing in her walk, only to check her phone, taking a deep breath when once again, there was nothing from her husband. Tying the band on her jacket a bit tighter, she started down the stairs, when she heard his voice, "Listen, the father, your old partner – you are you two close?"

"yeah, we were." Olivia.

"Yeah?"

"He was my mentor, and a friend. And now I have to call him up and let him know that I will be arresting his only son for rape."

Rafael sighed, "okay." Olivia smiled at Annabelle as she passed, not stopping for a conversation, leaving the auburn-haired beauty to look at Barba. "Hey," he went in for a kiss, frowning when he only got her cheek, "what are you doing here?"

"Lunch date remember?"

Rafael closed his eyes in frustration, "I forgot. I'm sorry. Let's get something now."

"Now?" He nodded. "Now, I can't. I've gotta get back to the academy. My lunch is over."

"I'm sorry," he reached out for her, glaring at the spot she had been in, when she moved just out of his reach.

"yeah. I'll see you at home."

-xXx-

Annabelle jumped when her phone rang from inside of her bag as she was leaving the academy with the other cadets. "Barba." The last name greeting cause a few of the cadets to slow their pace to listen to her said of the conversation.

"Hey, we need your help tracking down a social media image and going through some traffic cams."

"Sure. Do I need to come to the precinct or can I do it from home?"

"Liv would prefer the precinct."

"Okay. I'll have to bring Lina. Tyler has a big test to study for, and I promised to be home early."

She didn't notice the looks she was being given as she sped up her pace after hanging up the phone, knowing that Fin wouldn't be calling unless it was something big, as he knew she could have still been in training.

After a quick trip home, where she changed from the all blue clothing into a pair of jeans and a sweater, she relieved Tyler of her babysitting duties and headed to the precinct to continue with her job at Attention Inc.

-xXx-

"She wasn't moving. Her eyes were closed." Annabelle watched at the British man spoke from the witness chair, her husband standing slightly in front of him.

"And when you went to pull Mr. Griffin off the victim, did she react?"

"No. She just laid there, sprawled out. That's when the cops arrived."

Rafael moved from his location, going towards the screen, "People's exhibit three, your Honor. A crime scene photo, taken by the responding officers. Does this photo accurately represent the state you saw the victim in?"

"yes. She was completely passed out."

"Thank you."

Rafael sat back into his chair, while the defense attorney stood up, quickly going to the same screen, "this photo was taken, what, fifteen minutes, after you call 911?"

He turned the screen off, while the witness stared at it, nodding his head, "more or less."

"And when you saw her lying on the ground, how could you tell she was unconscious?"

"It just looked like she was."

"Looked like? In the dark? From 20 feet away? Did you check her pulse? Try to revive her?"

"No. I called the cops."

"Not an ambulance or a doctor?"

"No."

"So, you wanted to be a hero…but only up to a point."

"Objection," Rafael didn't stand from his chair, as if he knew the lawyer would push his limits soon.

"Withdrawn. Nothing further."

Rafael stood up to call his next witness, Janie Spears, when the judge interrupted him, "Let's recess for lunch. Court is adjourned until 1."

As the members in the room disbursed, Annabelle stopped Rafael outside the doors, "I have to go into the office." She smiled softly as he intertwined their fingers. "Good luck for the rest of the day. I'll see you for dinner."

"I'll bring Chinese?"

"Sounds perfect," he gave her a small peck upon the lips, "love you."

-xXx-

"A banquet?"

"Yes, after last year's success, I decided that it would be a fantastic idea to continue the tradition and have a benefit banquet to raise funds to support a prominent cause for the year."

"You're wanting another fundraiser for the backlog? Okay," Annabelle hesitated, trying to mentally calculate what all needed to be done.

"Maybe not the backlog. Another important cause. If we keep doing the same thing, people will not want to attend and we will not raise the amounts we desire."

"Alright," she pulled her phone out opening the calendar, "when would you like it to be?"

The governor of New York leant over the red head's shoulder, the pair looking at the mobile calendar, "December 17th." Annabelle nodded, thumb roaming to put the event in, "Once more, you're in charge. Find out if the same people are on board, and get it going."

"Yes, sir." Knowing that the conversation was over, she quickly left the governor's office, dialing numbers the moment she was out of the elevator. "Emma, hi. It's Annabelle…Barba. I was just calling to see if you would be down to sponsor another banquet?"

"I'd love to! What do you need from me?"

"Getting the guests? Same as before, if that works for you. It'll be on the 17th this year."

"Cutting it close aren't they?"

Annabelle forced out a laugh, "Yeah. The governor just told me. Now I'm going to be frantic for the next 33 days." The two women spoke for a few more minutes before the conversation was ended, Annabelle looking up at the structure that would soon become her precinct. Jogging up the stone steps, she found the contact she desired, eyes narrowing at every additional ring, before she heard the sound of it picking up, "Hi, Mr. Munoz."


	28. Shadowing cadets & Busted Rhymes

Here's chapter two of the three I promised. I have my grandma's funeral tomorrow and a doctor's appointment Wednesday to see if I'm allowed off bedrest or not. So, I'll do my best to get the third one out as soon as possible. In the mean time, let me know how you feel about this chapter? It's almost 5,000 words! I'm kinda proud of the amount. haha

Chapter 28

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Annabelle didn't stop rummaging through the pages in front of her, "of course. I just need to make sure everything is set for the menu tasting tonight, and the drink selections, and…"

She trailed off, tensing when the papers were taken from her hands, her eyes automatically meeting the hazel ones of her husband, "sit. Eat. Be calm."

"I am calm."

The Cuban- American smirked, "you don't sound calm." Annabelle forced her body to relax, taking a deep breath before smiling. "that's my girl. Now," she frowned when he moved away," fix your plate and join us. I'm testing how long it takes for this little monster to get breakfast on my suit."

Once she plated up her eggs and bacon, Annabelle joined her family, eyes full of love as they shifted between her husband and daughter. A grin broke on her lips the moment Catalina threw a handful of her oatmeal at her daddy, landing on the arm of his jacket. Rafael simply closed his eyes in acceptance, before telling the baby it wasn't nice as he tried to feed her another bite.

-xXx-

"Welcome to your final week, cadets." Annabelle forced her body to stay unresponsive, refusing to smile at the joyful thoughts flashing through her scattered mind. "today, you will begin shadowing different bureaus in the state. Brooklyn. Queens. Manhattan."

Commanding officer Jones spoke up next, "In groups of five you will go to different squads, learning from the officers, the detectives, and even the mail clerks if they provide you any useful information. You will be divided into three squads: Homicide, narcotics, and sex crimes."

Commanding officer Richards picked up again, "we have chosen your positions, based on the units you requested as your first choice. If you do not receive your first choice, I do not want to hear about it. The lists are on the boards. You have one hour to make it to your assigned precinct."

"You will fill out reports every day, describing what you did and what you learned. The people you work with will rank you at the end of each day. At the end of the week, those stats will determine who graduates to of the class. Good luck."

"Dismissed."

Annabelle followed behind the other cadets a they darted to the bulletin board to find their units. Once locating her name, she sighed as she discovered her location, nodding once to herself, she made sure the blue button up shirt was tucked into the navy pants, and walked out of the academy.

Manhattan, here she comes.

-xXx-

Feeling fully out of place on the subway, she adjusted her tie for the third time, before finally pulling her phone from the front pocket of her pants, slowly scrolling through her missed messages. Noticing an email from Alex Munoz, she made a mental note to read it later, instead choosing to open the update from Emma Watson. Smirking in success, she was happy to see that Taylor Swift would be playing at the now second annual fundraiser. Typing out a quick reply to the Brit, she repocketed the phone, knowing she was a mere two stops away from her exit.

Ten minutes later, the auburn beauty was walking into the Manhattan SVU precinct, still feeling self conscience in her uniform, especially since the only people who knew of her training was Rafael, Fin, and William. Thankful for the black peacoat tied around her waist, she tightened the knot, concealing a bit more of her uniform, unlike the other three cadets currently standing straight up on display in the center of the walk way. Joining the group as Carisi was entertaining them with some sort of story, she gave him a small smile, which he returned by stopping his conversation and moving to kiss her cheek. Pulling back in confusion as he noticed her choice of clothing, "when did you start this?"

She shrugged, highly aware of the other cadets watching the interaction, "about six months ago."

"Funny. Does Liv know?" She shook her head negatively, causing the Staten Island native's grin to widen, "this is gonna be good." Much to Carisi's disappointment, Olivia didn't react in the way he anticipated, instead treating her friend just like the other cadets.

-xXx-

After two hours of sitting in one of the rooms with the two remaining cadets, listening to another officer talk about their experiences so far, Olivia walked in, "we got something. Barba. You're with me and Rollins. Let's go." Sending a not so apologetic smile at the people in the room, she hightailed it after the brunette. The three women we stood in the elevator when Olivia spoke again, "when were you going to tell everyone about this?"

Annabelle shrugged, "graduation probably. Fin knew."

"Fin?"

Annabelle could hear the disbelief in Amanda's voice, without having to look at the Georgia native. "Yup. He actually gave me the papers. I never imagined myself as a cop, but after we talked, I realized I pretty much work here anyway, just without the gun or badge. So why not go for it. Make some of the hacking I do, actually legal."

The rest of the conversation to the crime scene was spent discussing the children's newest habits, including Jessie's habit of screaming "fuck" every chance she got, thanks to overhearing one of Amanda's friends letting it slip a few days earlier.

Once at the crime scene, she followed quickly behind the other two, Olivia taking the lead for obvious reasons, "what do we have?"

"Vic took a bad beating. Lost lots of blood. Obvious signs of sexual assault. Someone did her with a pipe."

"We recover it?"

"Yeah, didn't have to look too far. It was on the bathroom next to the vic."

"Who found her?"

"mom and daughter." Annabelle did the same as her now superior officers, eyes going straight to the blonde mother and daughter duo, who were giving their statements as they passed. Couldn't be older than 10, poor girl.

"Did they see anything?"

"Male. Black. 30s. That ought to narrow it down."

Annabelle stayed with Amanda, choosing to let Olivia wonder on her own. "Any other witnesses?"

"Still looking. Nothing so far."

"what about security cameras?" Okay, so Liv is still paying attention.

"Nothing in the hallway or the bathroom. There's something else," the black officer handed Amanda a plastic wrapped bag. Take a look at the vic's ID."

"A public bathroom of a crowded mall in broad daylight. This is a hell of a place to attack someone."

"Or the perfect place," Amanda held the wallet up for the other two women to see, "vic is transgender."

Annabelle's eyes widened slightly, before she schooled her features, and looking at Olivia for direction. "I'm going to check out the bathroom. Anna, you and Rollins go interview the witnesses." With a nod, she followed the blonde towards the other two, where Amanda quickly introduced them and the now group of four began walking away from the crowded area.

"Do these people go by him or her?"

"Well, this person goes by her," Annabelle couldn't help but snip, before closing her eyes in realization that she sounded harsher than she meant.

"Okay. I found her on the floor, near the stall, dress pulled up over her," she hesitated, "you know."

"Yes."

"She was unconscious, so I called 911."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

Annabelle smiled at the little girl's question, allowing Amanda to answer, "We hope so. You know what? We really want to find out who did this to her, so can you tell us about the man you saw in the hallway?

"Like I told the other policeman, he was black, late 20s, early 30s. I didn't see his face, but there was blood on his pants. That's all I remember."

"Was he tall? Short? Heavy?"

"Average? I really don't remember."

"He was big."

"Sophie, let mommy handle this."

"So, he was big, Sophie?" Annabelle couldn't help questioning the little girl, knowing she should reign herself in, as she was just meant to observing."

"For God's sake, she's ten years old." Annabelle smirked, knowing that she had guessed the kid's age correctly.

Amanda held a hand up at the mother, "Please," before crouching down in front of the ten-year-old," So, Sophie, the woman that we found, she really needs your help. So, if there's anything that you can remember about the man in the hallway…did he have any tattoos?"

"She doesn't remember anything else. Right sweetie?"

She hesitated, "yes. Uh, I don't remember."

"Okay. Well, thank you for trying, Sophie."

Annabelle smirked at the different tone Amanda used on the girl's name, unable to stop herself from speaking to the mother once more, as the two started to leave, "And thank you so much for being cooperative."

The woman turned around quickly, "It was just a matter of time before something like this happened. Everyone had to make such a big fuss over this transgender issue. Why can't people use the damn bathroom they were born to use? Is that really to hard?"

Amanda pulled a card from her pocket, handing to the witness, "We'll be in touch. Thank you. Thank you, Sophie." And then she was walking away, Annabelle scrambled to catch up. "Control yourself."

Annabelle chuckled, "Sorry. I knew it sounded bad the moment it escaped."

Amanda grinned, "I was thinking it."

After a quick walk through the bathroom with Olivia filling the pair in, they headed to Mercy Hospital, now joined by Carisi, Fin, and the other two cadets that had be abandoned earlier.

"Vic's legal name is Eric Carson. She's a 24-year-old art student from Montclair, New Jersey. Seems like she goes by the name Eva these days."

"Parents?"

"They're on the way," Fin spoke from beside her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the other female cadet in the group jumping in surprise at his voice.

"This is the nurse."

"Hey. What do we got?"

The lady in grey looked at the size of the group before speaking, "rape kit showed forced penetration, severe tearing and bleeding, perforated colon significant blunt force trauma to the head and torso as well. She's lucky to be alive."

"Okay. Semen? Is there any sign of intercourse?"

"No."

"Defensive wounds?" Annabelle noticed the same cadet jump at Amanda's voice.

"Bruises on her wrists and arms. We're checking her nails for DNA."

She was vaguely aware of Olivia thanking the woman as Carisi had started speaking, "A transgender art student from the suburbs gets beaten and raped with a pipe in a public restroom just months after New York State signs the gender-neutral bathroom bill."

Annabelle sighed, "Media's gonna be all over this." She was confused when the other two cadets shot her wide-eyed looks. These two couldn't be over 19 or 20.

"Yeah. For good reason. This is a hate crime." She turned to look at the three cadets, "Anna. Go back to the precinct. Find me this guy."

Annabelle nodded, "Raf has my laptop, so after I make a pit stop, I'm there."

"Thank you."

-xXx-

"Hey, Carmen. He busy?"

"Not too busy for you." She gave a short laugh, before knocking on the door and pushing it open slightly.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I need my laptop. Caught a case."

"Anything I need briefed on," he questioned, arms wrapped around her waist, face buried in her confined auburn locks.

"hate crime," she pressed her lips to his cheek, before using her thumb to remove the slight lipstick mark that settled there. "I've gotta go." She pressed her lips to his, softly to keep her lipstick from transferring, "love you."

"You, too." She almost ran from the room with the laptop case swinging against her hip.

Once she was in the precinct, perched at Carisi's desk, she felt more at home, especially once she cleared the random bits of trash from the wooden top, rolling her eyes at the Italian's messiness. Typing in a few notes, she pulled up Eva's texts and phone logs. "Who's Logan?" A few more minutes and she was calling Olivia.

"Benson."

"It's me. You ready for this?"

"Let me put you on speaker." She heard the moment of her hand, and grinned as Carisi laughed in the background. "Anna?"

"Okay. So, Eva…has a boyfriend, named Logan. Who she was fighting with last night."

"Okay? People fight?"

"Carisi, your desk is basically a landfill. You don't get to speak to me."

"Did you steal my desk?"

Her reply was cut off by Olivia's, "enough. I know you have more than that."

"He's black. And some of the messages he sent include him being tired of her lies, starting to despise her, and wishing she'd disappear. And copies have been sent to Amanda's phone…now." Clicking could still be heard as she began muttering to herself, too low for any of the others to make out the words, "Aha! Eva worked as a model until last week…when she got fired, for," she paused, clicking a few more buttons, "getting into an altercation with a guest."

"Good job, Anna. Keep doing what you're doing." Olivia hung up, as Annabelle heard her begin giving orders to the other people in the hospital.

-xXx-

"Eva's still on life support. The doctor's say it doesn't look good." Annabelle looked up as Amanda returned from her phone call. Of the five SVU cadets, she was the only one not sitting in the group against the way, instead shew as typing away on her laptop, fully immersed in the conversation going on around her, until she finally found something else of use.

"Just got off the phone with the event planner. He says he doesn't know the name of the guy who got slapped, but he does know he was a guest of Vincent Love's?"

"The rap guy?" She rolled her eyes at the female cadet's question, felling incredibly old suddenly.

"Yeah, the founder of One-Eight-Seven Music," Fin answered, continuing as if he had never been interrupted.

"The guy she slapped in a recent signee," she continued typing as she spoke, furiously trying to find the man, "And he goes by Hype. Thank you, Fin." The older man gave her a short wink as the conversation began to float around them again.

"Real name?"

"I'm workin' on it," she glared at the screen, not even looking at the man perched on his own desk. "Randall Leonard…and he's in the studio." As Carisi and Fin were sent out to speak to the artists, Olivia retired to her office, telling the cadets to pick up on the reports from the past week they had been reading, and Amanda sat down at her desk to start recon.

Annabelle kept a straight face, ignoring the eyes she felt on her back, and the mumbles that would occasionally mention her name.

-xXx-

"Do we have anything on Hype's past that suggest he's good for this?" Annabelle jumped as Olivia led the two guys back into the current research area, the cadets had also joined the two women, at Amanda's insistence. A third desk was even pulled up to make them more comfortable.

"One prior. Armed robbery. Plead it down to a misdemeanor, didn't do any time, but I listened to some of his music. It's hardcore."

Annabelle scoffed, and Amanda looked towards the men with an eyebrow raised, "you mean hateful."

Annabelle picked up where her fellow southern woman left off, "it's full of homophobic rants, gay sluts. Dude, it's bad."

A whispered question about whether she just called a lieutenant dude reached her ears, slightly disrupting her focus.

"So, he may not be the spokesperson for the LGBTQ crowd, but it doesn't mean that he's good for the assault."

Annabelle smirked, enlarging the tweet on her screen, "This might. Posted yesterday at 11:54am…" Look who I just saw at Cypress market! Hashtag Hype rules," end quote." An hour later, she was standing in front of the two-way mirror with the other four cadets, watching Carisi and Fin interrogate Hype. She closed her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips, "did he really just call him a punk ass?"

"Yeah."

She jumped when her phone pinged in her pocket. "my security video just finished it's program. Logan left the law firm at 11:30…and didn't return until 1:45."

"That's not a quick lunch."

Amanda smirked, "Unless you live in Italy."

"And he doesn't. Let's go. Two of you, with us."

Annabelle stepped from the line, noticing a glare thrown towards her as she stepped up to Olivia as she put her coat on, "I've back on the computer. Bring me coffee?" Olivia nodded her agreement, and Annabelle shot back towards the rolling chair at her temporary desk.

-xXx-

"Who the hell is Cash Lewis?"

"What?"

Annabelle jumped, having been lost in her thoughts on the computer, "Huh?"

The blonde cadet rolled her eyes, "you said something about Catch Louise?"

"Cash Lewis. I'm not sure who he is." She pulled up her phone, typing a quick message out to Olivia and Fin, before going back to her normal duties. Annabelle plugged her earphones into the computer after another ten minutes of silence, allowing the sound of Ed Sheeran to guide her research. She pulled them out, just as it was beginning his second album, when she noticed Fin and Carisi walk back into the room. "What'd you find out?"

"Eva's been writing all of Hype's hardcore raps."

"About hating transgenders?"

"yup. And she tore up the check for fifty grand."

Annabelle's eyes widened, "if she blabs, Hype's finished before he even gets started. That's motive, but," she hesitated as she thought of how she wanted to say what she wanted to say, "I don't buy it though. It just doesn't feel right."

The phone rang next to Rollins, "That was lab. Hype's DNA was under Eva's fingernails."

"Sit on his studio. I'll send Anti-Crime to the apartment. You two work on an arrest warrant. Fin, assign cadets." Olivia's orders were short as she jogged into her office.

"Okay. You two go sit on the studio with Rollins," he pointed at the other two sitting, "You're with Carisi."

"What about Barba?"

Annabelle was already standing up to put her coat on, the moment she got logged out of her Attention Inc files, "I'm going for the warrant."

"You can't decide where you want to go."

Fin spoke up from where he had moved, "Anna, let's go."

The pair jogged from the building and sped towards Hogan place. "Why did I get warrant duty? I mean, I'm not complaining, cause I wanted it…and I kind of knew I would get it."

"Less chance of them figuring out you married the ADA. Wouldn't want them to think you were getting special treatment or anything."

She heard the teasing in his voice, and couldn't stop the chuckle from escaping her mouth, "I'm pretty sure ya'll all calling me Anna instead of Barba is making them think that already."

"The younger they are, the easier they think someone is getting some sort of special treatment. Then it isn't fair to them."

Once at Rafael's office for the second time that day, Annabelle knocked on the door, this time waiting on his reply before pushing it open. "We need a warrant."

"Hello to you, too. What do you need?"

"DNA evidence matches the suspect to Eva's attack." Rafael was already filling the paperwork out before she even spoke, knowing that they wouldn't come to him in such a rush without enough evidence to back anything up. "Thanks." The pair were quick to find a judge. Fin's phone rang, and after he glanced at the caller ID, he wordlessly handed it to the cadet, continuing his conversation with the judge "Hey, Manda. What's up?"

"Hype's on the movie. He just stepped out of his studio."

"Alright. Judge is signing the warrants now. Don't take your eyes off him."

-xXx-

Carisi and the other two cadets joined them as they were leaving the courthouse. "Rollins called. I figured it would be easier for all the cadets to be together."

"Good call." Annabelle's eyes went straight to Carisi when his phone rang again.

"37th and 7th?"

Annabelle shared a look with Fin, "That's near Mercy."

"We're on our way."

The three cadets filed into the backseat, Annabelle hopping in the middle, and quickly raising up so her head was near the front seats. "Hype's on his way to the hospital?" Carisi and Annabelle both nodded their confirmation. "Kid's crazier than I thought." They pulled up to the hospital, Carisi on the phone with Rollins, and Hype in plain sight as Fin slammed the car into park. "Stay in the car."

"But- "

"I mean it Annabelle." She glared as the two detectives flew towards the rapper, "I never get to have any fun."

-xXx-

"Who wants to meet our ADA?" None of the cadets replied, causing Olivia to smile, "Alright then. Let's all go." Annabelle didn't get up from her spot, "You, too, Barba." The redhead groaned, refusing to look at the squad as the group left the room.

After the short drive, they arrived at Hogan's Place, Olivia knocking on the door. "You need security to visit me now?"

"Cute. These are our shadowing cadets for the week. Cadets Avery, Michaels, Williams, Scott, and Barba, this is our ADA Rafael Barba." The three friends chose to ignore the startled looks that shot around the group.

"The girl ID's Cash Lewis. Is it credible?" The cadets were sitting around the room, listening to the senior members of the until discuss the case, a few of them afraid to even shift their positions on the large leather couch.

"I think so. When she saw his face in the photo array, her eyes lit up, and she said she remembered the tattoo on his neck. It reminded her of SpongeBob."

Rafael made a face as Olivia zoomed in on the photo, "huh. The motive?"

"Look, Eva posed a threat to Hype's image. His career. So, Cash tried to buy her off. When she refused, he beat and raped her…with a pipe."

Rafael sat down in the chair behind his desk, "I'm not sure we have enough for an arrest just yet, but I'll get you a search warrant."

"Okay," Olivia turned away, just as her phone pinged, the cadets following her lead, until she turned back, "the sooner, the better. Our rape case just turned into a murder investigation. Eva passed away an hour ago."

-xXx-

"This whole self defense thing is a total mess," Annabelle watched, along with the other cadets, as the people they were shadowing were sat in front of an evidence filled white board, Rafael standing as he spoke. The ADA had long since shed his jacket and vest and stood in front of his audience in just his suspenders, "fire and foremost. Cash didn't pull the gun. Hype did. The kid is lying about everything."

"To avoid admitting that he was in love with Eva."

"Even if he's telling the truth that he was seeking revenge because of Eva's death, he could still be staring down a murder charge." She watched as her husband walked around the room to sit into the only available chair, which was slightly in front of hers.

"Look, the guy finds out that the love of his life has just died after being beaten and rape with a pipe. I mean, it sounds like heat of the moment to me."

"Noo. He had," he pointed towards the board, "three hours to cool down. He stole Vincent Love's gun. Then he drove 60 blocks looking for his victim, and he shot him in cold blood. To me, that sounds like murder."

"Well, if the victim wasn't such a hate-filled, pip-wielding rapist, then I'd be more inclined to agree with you."

"From a legal perspective," he leaned up in his chair, and Annabelle's fingers itched to rub his tense shoulders, "that's irrelevant."

"I know, but from a human one, it's not," Olivia learned towards her friend, "Is the world really going to be a worse place because Hype does five years instead of twenty?"

Rafael sighed, falling back deeper into the chair, "Let's go."

-xXx-

"Oh, you're not gonna let me get out of here." Annabelle snorted in amusement at the tone of Rafael's voice as he started out of Olivia's office.

"He's the one who had Eva thrown out of that party. He told Cash to pay her off. When she refused, he told Cash to beat her."

"Go on."

"Vincent Love has too much to lose. Hype was supposed to be the next big thing. His golden goose. He has the looks, the talent, the attitude. The only thing that could possibly screw that up was Eva."

She didn't get to hear the rest of that conversation, as Fin came over, letting the cadets know that they were free to leave for the night. After a few questions about how their days went, they were dismissed with the orders to wear clothing to make them fit in a bit better for the rest of the week.

-xXx-

The next day, Annabelle dressed in black slacks and a button up teal silk shirt, pairing the outfit with her black ankle boots and a simple black watch, choosing to leave her wedding rings on. Walking into the precinct, she noticed how only one other cadet dressed like they were told, the other three choosing to remain in their uniforms. Olivia noticed the difference as well, choosing to call for Annabelle and Cadet Williams to join her today as they were the only two in plain clothes. The trio were soon joined by Barba as they made their way to Riker's Island.

"I told you we are not ready to plead to any charge that is going to force my client to lie about some fictitious relationship with a transgender art student."

"We all know that it's not fictitious. And so does Vincent Love, your boss. We've been searching his texts, his emails, his studio, but you already knew that."

"Is there a point to this meeting or are you guys just really bored?"

"Here's the point, smartass," Rafael tossed a black recorder onto the table, allowing two new voices to fill the air. "That audio, courtesy of Vincent Love and the now-departed Cash Lewis, was recorded two days before Eva was attacked with a pipe."

"Those damn hot mics. You never know what you're gonna hear," the smirk was visible in Olivia's voice.

"That conversation proves nothing."

"It does if your client testifies. If he tells the jury that Vincent Love and Cash Lewis were urging him to break off his romance with Eva."

"Cash may have attacked Eva, but that is all over and done with, and Vincent had nothing to do with it."

Annabelle smirked, knowing that the lawyer had just given what the ADA had been fishing for. "That sounds like a conflict of interest. I'd much rather bury the man responsible for killing Eva than you. If you cooperate, I'll reduce the murder charge to Man Two. You'd do three years.

-xXx-

The following day, Annabelle came to the precinct late, thanks to an early morning doctor's appointment for Catalina, where the now seven month had to receive another shot. The new mom decided to stay with her daughter for a couple of hours longer, as she was cranky, and Annabelle didn't want to force that on Tyler. Once she was calm and happily napping in her crib, she changed into a pair of dark wash jeans and a scoop neck light blue top, making it to the courthouse to join the squad and other cadets in watching the final moments of Rafael in court. Her heart beating just a bit faster when she caught sight of him in his grey suit and Ravenclaw inspired tie, her body humming in happiness to watch her husband do what he did best.

"Can't you just tell the truth? You shot the son of a bitch who raped and murdered the woman of your dreams on the order of Vincent Love, just because she was transgender."

"Objection!"

"Withdrawn. Nothing further."

When the members of the jury were sent to determine Hype's guilt, they returned within ten minutes, handing the slip of paper to the judge. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor."

"What say you?"

"On the charge of murder in the second degree, we find the defendant guilty."

"The court would like to thank the members of the jury for their time and service."

Afterwards, she joined Olivia and Rafael as they walked down the steps. "Three lives destroyed all because some woman named Eva was born a boy."

Annabelle clicked her phone locked as Olivia finished her statement, "I just read that Hype's single just hit number one."

The lieutenant shook her head, "that's all that really matters," before leaving the spouses alone on the top step, watching the press surround Vincent Love, who was thanking his lawyer.

"Let's go home," she nodded, smiling when Rafael blue coat covered arm fell atop her shoulders.


	29. Retired Cops & Pointed Guns

Shout out to the new follows/favorites. Ya'll are awesome, and I'm glad you're liking it. Here's the latest chapter – I know, I can't believe it's been three chapters in less than a month either, but there have…so if you haven't caught up on the recent postings, check them out before you read this one. I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter, and about the story in general. You're reviews make me happy! Enjoy this chapter. N

Chapter 29

"You look so pretty. Yes, you do. Such a pretty little princess."

"Like her momma." Annabelle squeaked in surprise as Rafael's voice sounded from behind her. "Lo siento." Ignoring the smirk playing on her husband's lips, she kissed the brunette baby on the top of her head, before wordlessly passing the fifteen-pound child to her father, who quickly wrapped the wiggling body in a fluffy white towel. The new mother quickly left the room, smiling at the sounds her husband was making towards his tiny clone.

Fifteen minutes later he was joining her in the living room, taking his newly plated burger and fries before slowly sitting on the couch, "what are we watching?"

"Hairspray. It was just back from commercial when I came in here," coating a fry in ketchup she handed the black remote over, "you can change it if you want."

He waited until the song being performed was over before he spoke, "This will be fine." The couple finished their unhealthy dinner as they watched the film, Annabelle pretending that she didn't notice Rafael mouthing the words every so often.

"We're getting old."

Rafael scoffed, "excuse me?"

Annabelle looked at her husband in amusement, "Well, we are!"

"And how do you figure that?"

"It's Wednesday night. We're watching a musical, and we're yawning."

"We're tired."

"It's 7:30 at night!"

He sighed, drawing his eyes away from the screen, "what do you suggest? We just put Lina down."

"I don't know," she chuckled to herself, "wanna make out like we're sixteen?"

The brunette smirked, "No, thanks."

"Okay," Annabelle unconsciously pouted, turning back to watch Zac Efron sing, smiling when those familiar lips met her neck, "thought you didn't want to make out."

Rafael smiled against her skin, "I plan to do far more than just make out, carino."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes," then his lips were crushed against hers, causing her to wrap her hands around his neck, fingers instinctively twisting around the fine hairs at the base. Rafael straddles Rafael's waist, bringing a groan to his lips as their cores pressed together, roughly. With quick fingers, he undid the buttons of her flannel shirt revealing her milky skin, which his mouth was instantly dawn to, her nails gripping her biceps tightly. Rafael's hands came to rest against one of her heaving breasts, thumb flicking across the hardened nipple, as his tongue gave the other similar treatment. Moving them into a horizontal position, his lips never leaving her heated flesh. Their lips continued to get reacquainted with one another's bodies, both relishing in the sounds the other was making. Movements only stopped when Annabelle pressed against his chest, to wiggle free of her pink silk panties; Rafael took the moment to pull his sweats from his body. As Rafael settled back onto the couch, the twenty-seven-year-old took control, straddling her husband once more, causing him to hiss in pleasure when her palm surrounded his member, stroking him gently, before rubbing it along her soaking slit, teasing them both. Lowering herself onto his girth, she bit her lip to contain her moan, her body singing as it began to readjust to his size. Her hands fell to the top of his shoulders, his gripping her hips as he silently urged her to move. After a few moments of relishing to feeling of how he felt inside her once more, she began to slowly rise up and down. His grip tightened, wanting nothing more than for her to speed up, as her breathless sounds seemed to become pure torture as they reached his ears. Shifting so he could be more in control, Annabelle gasped in surprised as the firmer stroke hit her core in a new angle, caressing her g spot. The new sounds escaping from his wife's lips told Rafael that she was getting closer with each deep thrust.

Twisting his hand around, he began to press against her clit in short, harsh strokes. Annabelle cursed, her body arching as the pleasure began to radiate from his ministrations. She cried his name as she met her release, milking his pulsating member as Rafael followed her over the edge with a guttural moan. Trying to catch her breath, Annabelle fell forward, the new position causing the now softening member to slip slightly free, his juice instantly beginning to spill down her thighs. "God, I love you."

Rafael chuckled, kissing her neck as her position, curled around him, made it difficult to reach her lips, "how's that for old?"

"Shut up."

-xXx-

Annabelle finished the coffee, just as the footsteps sounded from behind her, signaling that Rafael was approaching. "Buenos dias."

"Morning, darling. You're not ready?"

"I'm going in late. I have a meeting with Alex Munoz in an hour."

"Alone?" The Cuban turned towards his own coffee cup, the moment he noticed the tone shift in his own voice, hoping that she didn't.

"Raf, chill," the pajama clad cadet ran her fingers over his tensed shoulders, "I'm meeting him at 8:30 to discuss the menu…he said he has it finished. Olivia will be there by 9 to do a walk through with us." She smiled at the look of peace that covered his face the moment he took a long drink of Cuban blend. Adjusting the silky blue tie into a straighter position, she cupped his face, thumb stroking the light stubble gracing his jaw, "I like this. It's sexy."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," she stepped closer, her chest brushing his, "I'd love to show you just how sexy it is."

"Why don't you?"

Green eyes flickered to the clock on the wall, making the redhead step away with a smirk, "you have motions today, right?"

"Mhm," he murmured, fully focused on untying the Mulan robe from her form, "why?"

"It's 7:54."

"What?" Rafael spun around to glare at the clock, "shit," then he was rushing from the room and she heard the front door slam thirty seconds later.

Shaking her head with a smile, she pulled the spice apple puree from the fridge, before taking the elevator up to where her daughter was now sitting up in her crib. "Good morning, beautiful." She listened to the babbles of the seven-month-old, her eyes brightening at every sound, "is that right? Well, little Lina, it's time for breakfast, my love." After giving Catalina a quick diaper change, she took the stairs back down to the kitchen, where the puree was losing a bit of its coldness as it sat perched on the bar, little green spoon next to it. "Apples…yummy yummy yummy," Annabelle made a couple of faces at the little girl once she was settled into her high chair, before she began to scoop the goop into the child's mouth, loving the sounds of delight Catalina was making as she ate. Catalina was finished with her breakfast and was getting cleaned up when Tyler made it into the house. "You okay?" The amusement in her voice was obvious as she looked over the wet Hudson student.

"It's raining."

"Really?"

Tyler glared at the smiling redhead, "I hope you drown."

Annabelle's smile turned into a full-blown laugh, "there's robes in the guest rooms. Go change and throw your clothes in the dryer."

"Thanks," and the brunette took off in the elevator, doing her best to keep water from getting all over the house. Once Catalina was back to her glorious self, Annabelle took the stairs two floors up to her bedroom to get dressed for the day. Pulling on a pair of straight legged blue jeans and a long-sleeved grey shirt, before slipping on her orange rain boots and a scarf of the same color, luckily the current shade of orange didn't clash with the auburn shade of her hair. Filling the grey leather purse with her essentials, she picked her daughter up and rejoined a now drying Tyler in the kitchen. "You ready for a super fun day, Cat!"

Annabelle grinned, relinquishing her hold once she kissed her daughter's chubby cheek, "Have fun. I should be home by 8. Rafael sooner. You sure you don't mind keeping her this long? I can call Lucia."

"Honestly, it's fine. Both my classes were cancelled, and I need to work on one of my final papers, so Cat'll be a great distraction," Tyler laughed, giving the infant a small tickle.

"Alright. If you're sure. Call me if you need anything. There's money on the bar if you want take out or – "

"Anna, I'm fine. I've done this before."

"Not for twelve hours, and I think she's teething."

"Anna, I'll call you the instant I can't handle her, I promise."

"I'm overreacting, aren't I?" Tyler just grinned in reply. "Okay. I'm going." She kissed Catalina once more, "love you, angel. Bye, Ty."

-xXx-

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Munoz. There was a wreck on 16th street."

"No problem, Annabelle," his words were accompanied by him kissing her cheek in greeting, something she had come to know as something Rafael's friends and family did, although when Alex did it, it made her feel highly uncomfortable. "This place is amazing. I don't know how you ever found it."

"Emma did actually. I can't believe how much more space we needed this year." She clapped her hands together, wincing as it echoed throughout the pavilion, "tell me about the menu."

He motioned for her to sit on the cushioned bench, which she did, slowly, her eyes not leaving his form, "I went for a female caterer, as you wanted. Her name is Abigail Kirsch. I decided an option of three hors d'oeuvres: artisan vegetable sushi, which is gluten free, Caesar bites, and onion soup-wich. I'll have my assistant send you the exact ingredients later today."

Annabelle nodded, "okay, and for dinner and dessert?"

"since she's a small business, there aren't as many options as last year," he looked towards the other side of the room, "Many feel that there were too many options last year."

She ignored the spite in his voice, "I think a smaller menu could be great this year."

"Fantastic. The starter is a citrus tuna tartar. There is also homemade bread. The choice of beef or chicken for the meal, and two types of chocolate somethings for dessert." Annabelle nodded, slightly surprised that the former mayoral candidate had come through this year. He placed his hand on her knee, "I remember how much you liked chocolate."

She smiled, patting his hand in hopes that he'd remove it, "pregnancy cravings."

"They do have a sundae cart if that's something we'd like instead."

"Ice cream?"

"Cheesecake."

She leaned towards the Latino, "tell me more about this cart of cheesecake."

"Three types of cheesecake: New York, caramel, or chocolate. Then there are three sauces, three fruit compotes, and then five different kinds of crunchies, as they call them."

"Crunchies?"

"I'll send you the list."

"Excellent. Have you thought about the drinks by chance?"

"I have a few ideas, but first I need to know the theme?"

She laughed, "sorry, I thought I emailed everyone. It's going to be winter wonderland, as long as there are no major objections."

"Not from me. Yelena would be happy to help with decorations. I mean, you do have a new baby running around, so this can't be easy for you."

She hesitated, "sounds good. Have her shoot me an email when she's able, and I'll send over my ideas and we can go from there."

-xXx-

Annabelle groaned as her phone blasted from the nightstand, "Barba."

"Be ready in 10. We got a case." Annabelle wordlessly hung up, groping for her black rimmed glasses, shoving them a little to roughly onto her face. Letting out a huff of breath, she slowly pulled herself from the king size bed, shuffling quietly towards the closet to grab a pair of loose light blue jeans and a t shirt. Dragging a blue beanie over her braided hair, the cadet jogged down the stairs and out the door, deftly locking it behind her, before she settled herself into the front seat of the familiar car. Annabelle accepted the steaming cup of coffee with a grunt of thanks as she pulled the seatbelt across her chest. "Sorry about the late call. Barba keeping you up late?"

She lightly rolled her eyes at Carisi's teasing, "Catalina is teething. I just got her down about an hour before you called."

The Staten Island native winced, "damn. Sorry."

"Shut up, Sonny," she smiled softly, allowing the music he had playing to fill the new silence, as she took large gulps of the scalding liquid. "Okay, so what are we going into?"

"Quinn something. She's 27," he paused to sip his still full drink, "called 9-1-1 around 11:25, said she was jumped."

Once they arrived at the scene, Fin repeated what they already knew, before the trio made their way into the building, "Anna, take point."

"Wait, what?" Her head whipped around to see the oldest detective smiling, before she sighed, "okay." Steeling herself, she walked into the room she had been directed towards, instantly noticing the dark-haired woman on the couch, shakily adjusting the blanket around her shoulders. "Hi. I'm Annabelle. This is Detective Tutola and Detective Carisi. We just have a few questions for you, if that's okay?" Quinn nodded her consent, signaling for Annabelle to continue. "I was told the man who did this wore a mask?"

"Yes, it was a black mask."

"Was he short? Tall?"

Quinn took a deep breath, shuddering as she exhaled while looking at the trio, before she wet her lips, "Medium height, medium build."

"Could you tell his race?"

"No, but it doesn't really matter?"

Annabelle paused, briefly looking back at Fin who motioned for her to continue, "Why not?"

Quinn's hand moved to her neck, "I think I know who did this," she stopped to calm her breathing again, "his name is Ray Wilson. And he's been stalking me since college."

-xXx-

Carisi stood from where he had been lounging with the other detectives, as Fin filled everyone in on the new case, "I'll go get more details."

Olivia held her hand up, stopping him, "let Anna and Avery handle it. Avery, take point."

The two female cadets went into the room, quickly going through the formalities, before stationing themselves in front of the sexual assault victim, their backs facing the mirror. An awkward silence enveloped the group, Annabelle waiting before she broke it, "What can you tell us about Ray Wilson?"

"We met at college. At Rutgers. We went on one date. I just wasn't interested, and he wouldn't leave me alone. He just kept texting me. And following me and he started leaving me notes on my car and buying me gifts. And he even followed me to my parents house once."

"Did you get a restraining order," Annabelle winced at how harsh her question sounded.

"Yes! Of course, but he didn't care, she sighed, "and then one day after class, he was in my closet."

"Did he assault you?" Cadet Avery chimed in, sounding ten times nicer than Annabelle expected her to sound.

"No. I threw my coffee at him and ran into the bathroom. Locked the door and called 9-1-1. The police came five minutes later."

"What happened?" "He go to prison?" Both cadets spoke at the same time, although Avery's question was the one answered.

"Yes. He got out on parole last year. Moved back to Patterson."

"Did he contact you again?" Annabelle leaned back, thankful that Avery was taking charge, as she was meant to do.

"yeah, he sent a letter of apology to my office. That made me nervous, so I called Sargent Cole."

"Sargent Cole?"

"He's the office that saved me that night."

"And you're still in touch?" Annabelle hoped her tone wasn't noticed, but the look on Quinn's face told her that it had been. She decided to stop questioning Quinn, the lack of sleep from the night before finally catching up to her, completely throwing her off her game, which was unsettling her.

"Yeah. We sorta became friends. I knew his daughter. We went to college together. He's retired now." She paused, "I asked him to make sure Ray wasn't still obsessed with me." Quinn shook her head, "I should've called NYPD."

"the only thing you need to worry about is you, okay?" Quinn bit her lip, nodding. "you're gonna be okay, Quinn. You're gonna get through this."

After Quinn smiled in acceptance at the blonde woman's words, Annabelle stood up, "We'll be back in a minute." She waited until the door closed before she spoke to her classmate, "good job in there. You saved my butt."

Ashley Avery flicked her long blonde ponytail from her shoulder, "well some of us got into the academy based on her merits, not who we know," she then walked away leaving Annabelle speechless and fuming.

-xXx-

Saturday came, bringing along an even more out of place feeling for Annabelle as she sat in the precinct with the group she had been working with for the past week, knowing that she had only three more days until the academy graduation. "Ray Wilson, 27. Convicted four years ago on breaking and entering and attempted sexual assault. Paroled in October." The conversation trailed off as Carisi and Benson walked off, still talking about the case. Annabelle continued watching the videos she had gotten from around Quinn's house, knowing that she would miss the resources Attention Inc provided her, when she was completely finished with the company.

A couple hours later, she gave up and quit set the system to continue scanning for Ray's face as she pulled up information for the banquet. "Where is everyone?"

"Jersey, talking to Cole. Find anything?"

Annabelle shook her head negatively, pulling the half way completed seating chart to her main focus, "I've got the programs running. Is it just us?"

Cadet Andrew Williams nodded, "Fin went to the john. Rollins went…somewhere with Avery." Annabelle smiled slightly, her fingers adding and erasing names from the one-hundred tables.

She continued for another thirty minutes before slamming the screen shut in frustration, "this is useless." She pushed herself away from the desk, "I give up." Walking from the precinct, she flopped down atop the steps on the outside of the building, before dialing the familiar number.

"Hello?"

"Tyler. How's everything going?"

The student chuckled from across the line, "you and Mr. Barba must think alike," when Annabelle didn't reply, she continued, "he just called. Miss Cat is okay. I just put her down for a nap."

Annabelle smiled, despite herself, "how are you doing? It's already 3."

"I'm fine. We had a rough morning, but now we're friends again."

"I'm glad," she paused, pulling the phone from her ear to read the newest text, "Listen, I have to go. Just wanted to make sure you were good. I know you aren't used to these twelve hours days, and now you've had three in a row."

"I'm good. Have a good day!"

Annabelle laughed, opening the door to the precinct, "I'll see you at 8."

Once they hung up, Annabelle finished making her way back to SVU. "Where have you been, cadet?"

She looked at Amanda, who was giving her a hard look, Avery and Williams looking on, "I had to call the babysitter."

"Next time. You need to ask before you leave."

"Yes, ma'am." Amanda didn't reply to the sarcasm, merely giving her another harsh look, which Annabelle ignored in favor of checking her surveillance videos for any results. Once that failed, she pulled the seating chart up once more, determined to get it finished before she had to leave for the day.

"Avery, Anna, you're with Carisi."

The redhead let a breath of air out, before slowly getting up the join the other two. "Where we headed?"

It was Avery who answered, "DNA results are back."

-xXx-

"The stalker was being stalked. Is that ironic or weird?"

"Both," Olivia looked around the room, "Fin, Rollins, take Williams and Avery. Talk to Wilson," she stared at Annabelle, who was slouched in her chair, typing on the computer, "find me surveillance, Anna."

The redhead nodded, saving her progress on the seating chart and logging back into her Attention Inc programs. Two hours later, she was feeling a bit more confident. "Black Cadillac parks outside Wilson's restaurant on the day of Quinn's assault. Driver runs to the kitchen entrance and runs right back to the car."

"This is the entrance where Wilson takes his smoke breaks?"

Annabelle nodded, opening her mouth to speak when Amanda's voice rang out, "yeah. Same one. Seems a little set uppy to me." Thanks, Rollins. Annabelle decided her input was no longer needed, instead going back to the videos to check for anything else.

-xXx-

"Wanna head down to pick up an arrest warrant from Barba?"

"Sure," Annabelle didn't look up from the laptop as she answered, closing out the program before standing up.

"Not you. Avery can do it. You just keep working on your _banquet_." Annabelle frowned at the way Amanda spoke, before sitting back in her seat and reopening the seating chart, twenty-five seats away from being completely finished with the task.

She frowned as a notification popped up an hour later, "Hey, Rollins. I just got an easy pass hit on Cole. And Quinn is sitting next to him."

"When? How long ago? Answer me."

"45 minutes. Jesus, I was looking," she muttered the last words to herself, although not very quietly as Amanda shot a glare in her direction while she was picking up her phone. Frustration mounted, and she angrily closed out the chart and pulled up the photographs of centerpieces that Yelena Munoz had emailed her the night before.

-xXx-

"Anna. You're with us."

The redhead looked up from her email, closing the screen the moment the draft was saved, grabbing her black peacoat from the back of the chair, shoving her arms through the holes as she walked towards Carisi, "What's up?"

The duo was rushing towards the elevator, Olivia having already went ahead of them, "She told me to pick a cadet. There's no one else I'd rather have my 6."

She smiled, squeezing his arm as they waited for the elevator to finish going down, "Always got your back. Where we going?"

"Cole and Quinn." She nodded, dodging an intern as she ran towards the back door of the car, Carisi automatically going towards the front.

Olivia passed a gun back to her friend, "don't shoot me, okay?" Annabelle shot her a look of mild panic, to which Olivia laughed, "I'm kidding. I trust you. Everyone has bad weeks," she cut Annabelle off when she opened her mouth to deny it, "I've noticed. It's a normal thing, especially when you're just starting out. Plus, you're almost single handedly planning the banquet."

"Yelena has been very helpful. Very opinionated."

"I wouldn't trust either of the Munozes further than I could throw them."

The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence as they hurried to their newest destination, Annabelle having spent the time her two superior officers were questioning Linda Cole about possible places for the retired sergeant to go. Coming to a mailbox reading 'Cole 31' "This is it," Carisi spoke as he pulled the car to a stop near the mailbox.

"Alright. Let's take a look around." Annabelle took a deep breath at Olivia's words, knowing she should not be feeling this panicky. Popping the trunk, the three put-on bullet-proof vests. "Anna, stay with me. Be careful, Carisi."

"I'm good."

"Hey," Olivia stepped up closer to Sonny, "I said be careful." She looked between the two of them, "both of you." They both nodded, Carisi unstrapping his gun, silently letting Annabelle know to do the same thing.

Annabelle followed behind the other two, glancing behind them, often. "Looks empty."

She nodded in front of them, "black Cadillac, straight ahead."

"Alright. Ready? Here we go." The trio headed towards the car, eyes shifting to the house and then back to their destined paths. Olivia saw the curtain move first, revealing Cole and his side arm, "gun." She grabbed Carisi's arm, pulling him down, Annabelle dropping into a crouched position as well, as the trio were hidden at the back of Cole's car. She took a deep breath, calming herself from her panic, knowing that it wouldn't help anyone. "Sargent Cole? It's Lieutenant Benson," Annabelle's eyes didn't leave the window, looking for any other sign of life as Olivia yelled towards the house, her ears catching the dialing sounds from Sonny's phone. "I know you're up there."

"Help! He's got a gun!" Quinn's anguished screams caused Annabelle closing her eyes in sympathy.

"This is detective Carisi. SVU. I'm at 31 Timber Lane Road. I got, uh, one suspect. He's barricaded. He's armed. Got one hostage. Send a tactical team and HN right now."

Annabelle glanced around the corner when Olivia spoke again, "Lieutenant Benson." A pause, "Let's just talk this through Sargent. Let's just talk this through." Another pause, "No, I'm sure there is. There is always something to say. And I want to hear what you have to say," she took a breath, "I want to understand, but first, you need to let Quinn go, okay?" A longer pause, "No, Cole. Quinn belongs in New York. She belongs with her family. She belongs with her friends, and you know that because you're a very, very smart man. You are a career police officer, and I know that you understand that." She heard Carisi shuffling around, "Okay. Then I'm going to shoot ya straight. You and I need to figure out something very fast, before the SWAT team and before the FBI get here. Can we do that?"

"I'm gonna see if I can make eyes on him." Annabelle's green eyes widened as Carisi rose up, and headed towards the house, she repositioned herself in front of Olivia, so she could block her in case the need arose, as she spoke on the phone, patting Sonny's arm in a silent reminder to be careful when he moved pass her.

"You did, and you did keep her safe, and you need to keep her safe now." Her new position meant that she could hear parts of Cole's replies, glaring at the phone when she heard the words beautiful whores. "I care, and I care…because I understand." She paused for a second, "You and I have spent our lives on the job. Given it our all, and you're right, we are taken for granted. People don't get it, they don't' understand. You're absolutely right," she waited to let her words sink it, "It doesn't feel good, but you and I both know that, that's not Quinn's fault, so you need to let her go, okay? You're a cop, I know that you understand this. So, I need you to listen to me, and understand that you have the opportunity right now, right here, to stand up and do the right thing. One more time."

"You mean one last time."

"Tom, listen to me. I want you to think about your wife. I want you to think about Linda, the woman that loves you. I want you to think about your daughter, who loves you. They both love you, now listen to me."

"They don't love me!"

"yes, they do. Tom, Tom, there's a future here. you have a future." Annabelle couldn't hear his reply, "listen to me, listen to me, take a breath, right now. Don't hang up on me." Annabelle took a breath the moment Olivia told Cole to do so, knowing she had to get ahold of her shaking hands. "Tom." She pulled the phone from her ear, "Oh no." The two women met each other's gazes, "stay with me."

Annabelle wordlessly nodded, standing to follow behind the brunette as they made their way around the house. Quinn's muffled screams alerted them to her presence upstairs, Annabelle covering Olivia's back as they two started to slowly make their way up the wooden platforms. She tensed when she saw the gun pressed against Sonny's forehead. Jumping when the sound went off, blood splattering the area, before Tom Cole's body hit the floor with a thud.

As the ringing stopped, she recognized the loud screams as Quinn's. Olivia was rushing towards Carisi, "You're alright. You're alright," the moment he nodded, she touched his shoulder before going to Quinn and untapping her mouth, all while mumbling comforting words to the girl.

Annabelle quickly re-holstered her gun, going to her friend. Sonny hit the ground, almost as if he was in slow motion, knocking the gun from Cole's now non-existent grip. Annabelle ran his hand over his knee, from her position knelt next to him, both of them looking back at Olivia and Quinn, the lieutenant looking a mixture of scared and relieved.

-xXx-

"Sonny almost died today."

Rafael coughed, choking slightly on his scotch, "what?"

"Yeah. An ex-cop held a gun to his head. Olivia killed the guy."

"He okay?"

"He's fine. I don't know how, but he's fine."

"What do you mean?"

"I," she hesitated, "I was scared to death. Even before we even got into that room. I was shaking." She took a long sip of her red wine, "I thought I could do this, but what if I can't? I watched one of my friends almost die! I didn't even care about the victim…I just went to him. He had blood on his face, his clothes, and he was fine ten minutes later. I don't know. I mean, maybe I'm kidding myself. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a cop."


	30. Detective Barba

Here's the newest chapter. Annabelle has her first case as an official detective at her new precinct, and the banquet comes to a head. Enjoy and let me know what you think? N

Chapter 30

Annabelle fell back onto the bed the moment she ended the phone call with Emma, arching her back as she stretched her tired muscles. Glancing at the clock once more, she took a quick shower and pulled on her cadet uniform, something that felt strange to be wearing as she had been wearing her casual clothing for the past week. Tossing her hair into a slick bun at the base of her head and a performing a quick swipe of mascara on her lashes and took the elevator down to the kitchen, where a delicious smell was wafting her direction. Leaning against the door frame, she smiled as she watched her husband sing to their daughter in Spanish while he was standing in front of the stove.

"Are you singing Defying Gravity?" Her smile turned into a smirk the moment he turned to look at her with wide eyes. "Morning, babe." She pecked his cheek before leaning down slightly to press a soft kiss to her daughter's head. "Good morning, my lovely."

"You're nervous."

She bit her lip, focusing on the empty coffee cup in her hand, "I hate that you know me so well."

"Funny. I thought that was why you married me." Annabelle looked at him with a side eye, before discarding the cup and grabbing a glass from the cabinet instead, filling it with orange juice, before freeing the Cuban of his daughter to help her settle into her high chair. Once the infant was being fed her pear and cinnamon porridge, Rafael broke the silence, "how you feeling this morning?"

She shrugged, "I'm fine, I guess. I just feel strange. This week has been…I don't know, I guess strange. It showed me what I was going to experience, but I had thought I was already experiencing it a bit with my Attention Inc work with the unit. Now, I just feel completely out of water."

"I understand," her eyes followed his back as the muscles rippled, "I've been there. I didn't see anyone almost die my first week, but I know what you mean. Just remember, you chose this path because it was something that called to you, and do not get discouraged, because you are going to be amazing." He turned, putting their filled plates on the bar top, "You always are."

She leaned up, pressing their lips together, "I love you." Glancing at the plates, she smiled, picking one of the sandwich halves she took a large bite, eyes closing as the swiss cheese melted on her tongue, the texture combined with the thin piece of ham made her smile as she chewed, "As stereotypical as it sounds, you make the best freakin' French bread sandwiches."

"It's the sauce," his words were muffled by the food he was chewing.

"The homemade Cuban sauce. Your mother is perfect." They continued eating, Annabelle taking breaks in between bites to feed the seven-month-old who was continually trying to steal the small plastic spoon.

Once their meal was finished, Annabelle cleaned Catalina up before bundling the baby in her winter gear, slipping her own coat on a few minutes before Rafael appeared, brown scarf in hand. "You ready?"

"Yes, sir." Handing him his light brown peacoat, she grabbed the keys from their designated bowl, the family took the elevator down to the garage.

-xXx-

"Almost every report we received spoke about how great everyone did on their assignments. Each year, we have one to two detective candidates, provided by the Chief. This year, Chief Dodds has provided three names."

Commanding Officer Jones walked through the lines, soon joined by Commanding Officer Richards, who picked up where the former left off, "The top five graduating cadets are: Johnson, Danielson, Ramirez, Brooks, and Avery." Annabelle had to stop herself from physically deflating when her name wasn't called out.

"Our candidates are Williams," Annabelle smiled at his name, "Walters, and Barba." Announcements continued for another ten minutes before Richards said the final words, "dismissed." Annabelle smiled to herself as she noticed an almost collective relaxation go through the room. "Barba, hang back."

Negative thoughts instantly flooded her mind, as she tried to remember where she had messed up, "yes, sir."

"Don't look so worried," she smiled slightly at the officer's light tone, 'I just wanted to see how you were doing?" She must have looked confused, because he quickly continued, "I read Benson's report about the events of yesterday. It seemed rough."

She nodded, putting a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "It was, but I'm…I'm good."

"Good," the man put his hand on her shoulder, "Benson said you handled it well, I just wanted to check in." The man looked off, over her head, "congratulations, Cadet." With a small smile, she quickly left, knowing the conversation was over.

-xXx-

"What are you doing?"

Annabelle moved, letting her husband see the screen, "trying to figure out giftbags for the guests. I like silver and blue wrapped kisses, but hot chocolate is cute. And I still have figured out signature drinks."

"Hmm," he stared at the pictures for a moment before pulling back, "do the kisses." He poured a generous amount of scotch into a tumbler, "Thought Alex was handling those."

"I didn't like his choices. Clashed with the theme."

He nodded, after taking a large gulp, "what about spiked hot chocolate?"

She gasped, turning to fully face him, "If I wasn't on a deadline, I'd totally give you a blowjob."

Rafael smirked, "you can thank me later." He kissed the top of her head, finishing the drink moments later, "It's getting late, so hurry up, carino." She nodded absently, writing down the needed items for peppermint vodka spiked hot chocolate, and a few minutes later the recipes for a snowball martini and one for Santa's little helper were inked as well. Finishing the ordering process for her banquet heels, she closed the laptop and downed the rest of her red wine, before going to the bed, where her husband was already breathing deeply.

The next morning, Annabelle was struggling to open one of her eye shadow palettes when Jake knocked on the door, causing her face to light up, "Hi!"

She quickly stood up, wrapping her arms around the man's neck, "you would have a Little Mermaid robe."

She pulled away, hitting his chest, "I hate you."

Jake pulled her into another hug, kissing the messy array of curls, "Love you, too. Congrats, baby sister." He glanced at the clock hanging on the adjacent wall, "I'll let you finish getting dressed." The woman threw him a quick smile, going back to her vanity. Adding gold shimmery shadow to her lids, and a couple of thick swipes of mascara before coating her lips in a dark auburn, almost the same shade of her hair. Spraying the setting spray, she braided her shoulder length hair, twisting it into the proper bun at the base of her neck, before stripping off the silk material from her body and replacing it with her pale blue button up, slowly tucking it into her black uniform pants.

She was angrily glaring at the still untied black tie around her neck when Rafael walked in, "you almost ready? We have to leave in 10." The Cuban stepped closer to his wife of over a year, gently taking the material from her painted nails, "You're shaking." He did the tie with practiced ease, before kissing her cheek, "I'm going to get Lina in her coat. See you at the door."

-xXx-

"Say hi detective Barba."

Annabelle grinned as Catalina babbled happily, quickly taking the little girl from her father's arms, "hi, baby. Did you see momma? Oh? You did!"

"Congratulations, detective."

She turned, happily embracing Chief Dodds, making a slight face at the loud Catalina made when she was squished slightly between their bodies. "Thanks, William." She gestured to her group of five, shooting a playful glare at her brother who took the infant from her jacket covered arms, "we're about to grab a late lunch. Care to join us?"

"Ah. No, thanks. I just wanted to say hello," he guided her a few steps away, "before Mike…passed…we were talking. We made a bet, you see? He knew that you'd apply to the academy at one point. Said he saw it in your eyes." He reached into his pocket, revealing a folded-up bill, "he bet me a hundred bucks that you'd be on the force before the end of next year." Sliding the bill into her hand, he waved off her protests, "looks like you won the bet."

The pair shared a watery smile, "Thanks, William. I just hope I can do him proud."

"You will," he cleared his throat, looking towards the group of newly graduated cadets, "go enjoy your family, kid."

-xXx-

The group made it to the Carmine's canopy seconds before the grey skies finally burst open with a great clap of thunder, causing Catalina to begin screaming. Jake instantly started to soothe the niece he had been refusing to let go of since the ceremony ended. "It's like a hurricane."

Annabelle flipped around, "Sonny? Sonny!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, the Staten Island native spinning her around, drenching them both a bit more, "Congratulations, Belle!" He sat his friend down, looking at the now quiet infant, "Hello gorgeous!" Jake quickly released his grip on the little girl. The three joined the three generations of Barba inside the Italian restaurant.

Seeing the rather large table containing her family, she mentally counted the number of guests, "Do we need this big of a table?"

"Oh yeah."

"There's six of us. This seats ten."

"Just sit down, hija." Listening to her mother-in-law, she quickly sat down across from her husband, looking at him inquisitively, which he was steadily ignoring.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Adam and I'll be serving you today. What can I start you off with to drink?" Before the appetizers were ordered, the table was full, Olivia and Fin joining the celebrations, followed by two people Annabelle did not expect to see – her parents.

They were enjoying their main courses when Carisi asked the question, "do you know what bureau you'll be assigned to?"

Hazel met green as they shared a secret smile, before the Cuban gave a slight nod. Swallowing the red wine, she had quickly taken a drink of to stall, "Uhm, Manhattan."

"That's great! Homicide? Narcotics?"

"SVU," her reply was quiet, slightly fearful of their reactions.

"Congratulations!" "That's what Dodds wanted to talk to you about," she laughed when Fin pointed at Olivia, who was smiling, the older detective's accusation drowning out Carisi's happiness.

-xXx-

Having Tyler take a quick shot of her, the new badge gleaming from her waist, Annabelle uploaded it to Instagram with the caption **December 11** **th** , because kissing her daughter goodbye and joining her husband, who was already getting the range rover warmed up. She had spent the five days after graduation completing final preparations for the banquet, which was now six days away. Monday came, bringing along with it her first official day as a detective at SVU. Armed in light grey skinny jeans, a matching scarf in the same shade, black ankle boots, and a white t-shirt, she adjusted her black blazer, before walking up the stone steps, and into her first day.

"Morning, Anna."

"Barba," Carisi nudged Fin as he walked up to join the man leaning against the desk, "you hafta call her Barba now."

The long-haired detective rolled her eyes, "shut up, Sonny." She pressed quick kisses to both their cheeks, her usual greeting, before taking Fin's offered hand.

"You're next to me."

"Awesome." She looked at Sonny with a smirk, "I get to sit by the best-looking man in the squad.

She noticed Olivia and Amanda walking in, coffee cups in their hands, so she threw them a smile before dropping her purse down to the bottom of the desk and settling into what was now her chair as Fin did the same across from her. It took her ten minutes of just sitting around to realize what she was feeling, "It's strange."

"What?"

She looked at Fin, who had answered her, "It's strange to be sitting here and not for Attention Inc." She took her head, in hopes of clearing those thoughts, "so, what do we do when we aren't doing a case?"

Fin smirked, "paperwork for stop and frisks, paperwork for other cases, and paperwork for closed cases."

Annabelle felt the smile leave her face as he spoke, "so, let me guess…a lot of paperwork?"

"Yup." He tossed a folder on her desk, "You can even get some practice in and type my frisks."

"Thanks. You're a great friend." He shrugged as if he to say that's what he was there for, and she slowly opened the folder and pulling up the program needed, where she quickly began typing away.

It was an hour later that Olivia walked out of her office, "Carisi, let's go." Annabelle watched as the two left the room, before going back to Fin's paperwork, only to be interrupted not long after when Sonny called Amanda and let her know the three of them were to head to the ice rink to question a crowd of people.

-xXx-

Annabelle separated from Fin and Amanda the moment they met the couch, instead choosing to talk to a few of the parents watching the current team practicing, growing more and more frustrated with each non-helpful answer, finally giving up and joining the other two detectives.

"Poor kid, I hope he's gonna be okay."

"Look, he's recovering. It's a serious injury." Annabelle raised an eyebrow at the tone Amanda used, feeling that it wasn't proper, but knowing better than to voice her opinion.

"What makes you think it was one of my players? Could it have been someone on the other squad or a whitecaps player in a different division?"

Annabelle studied the coach as Fin spoke, "different division?" She decided that he cared about Jack but felt extremely too confident in that his players wouldn't have been Jack's attacker.

"Yeah, there are ten whitecap squads separated by age and skill level. Mites, squirts, peewees –"

Amanda interrupted the man, turning so that we could no longer walk around the rink, "right now, we need to focus on your kids."

"Sure. We complete for the New York State Championship every year."

"So?" "So?" fin and Annabelle spoke at the same time, causing the latter to smirk to herself.

"So…no one would jeopardize that by doing something this stupid."

"You have security cameras," the redhead questioned, looking around the cold building.

"Not in the locker rooms, but, sure there are cameras around. Management can give you whatever they have."

At his reply, the new detective gave a nod, before walking away to find someone in management, hearing Fin ask, "you got any trouble makers on your team?"

Coming to an older man with almost completely white hair and sweeping around with a broom, "Hi. I was wondering if you could point me to someone in management?"

"That'd be me," he stopped to lean the broom and dustpan against the side of the rink, holding out his hand for her to shake, "Joe Olson. This is my place."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Olson," she moved to let her badge show slightly on her waist, "Detective Barba. SVU. I was told you'd be able to take me to your security tapes."

"Of course, of course. They're up here in the box," he began leading her up the stairs, going at a quicker pace than she expected someone of his age to go, "Can I ask what this is about?"

"There was an…incident earlier this morning, and we just need all the information we can get."

He unlocked the door, motioning for her to enter first, "I'm happy to help, dear." Getting everything, she needed from Mr. Olson, she joined the other two, just to be filled in about the Bash brothers, before the trio headed back towards the precinct. Once back, Amanda and Fin instantly went to their computers to find out more on the Bash brothers – Timmy Brown and Will Harris, while Annabelle started on the security tapes.

As she worked, she noticed Olivia and Carisi join the group, sitting across the room, speaking up when her eyes caught what she needed, "Hey, I got something." As the rest of the squad began walking over to where she was situated, she rewound the footage on the screen, "here are the players leaving the locker room. Most leave at the same time, but these are the last two before Jack. 26 and 9," she added once she zoomed in for everyone to see, "10 seconds later…Jack comes out."

"you can't see his face. How can you tell it's him?"

"The 14 on his jacket, Amanda. It's Jack's number."

"Okay, so who are the kids that came out before him," Olivia asked, resulting in Sonny looking to the roster.

"Number 9…William Harris. Number 26…Timothy Brown," he looked up to match Olivia's gaze, "the Bash brothers."

Olivia nodded, "okay. Bring them in. This wasn't a couple of kids playing grab ass. We need answers."

Carisi grabbed Annabelle and went one way, while Rollins and Fin went the other, leaving Olivia to be in control of the squad room.

-xXx-

"He caused you to lose, so you thought you'd teach him a lesson?" Annabelle listened as she walked into interrogation room two, Carisi already talking to Timmy Brown.

"No, we stayed to make sure he was okay."

"You didn't assault him? We take your sticks, we aren't gonna find Jack's DNA?"

Okay. I don't know what your implying here, but my son -"

It wasn't our idea!" Timmy interrupted his father with a shout, "we just held Jack down, but he made us do it. He went crazy. I've never seen him like that before."

"Wait. Slow down," Annabelle interjected, feeling incredibly lost."

"You hafta believe me. He was the one who grabbed the sti—"

"Timothy, no."

The teenager ignored his dad, "he was like an animal!"

"You keep saying he. Who is he?"

Timmy stopped his panicky outcries, looking at Annabelle's face, "Kyle."

A knock sounded on the glass, causing Annabelle to glance up, "stay here, okay? We'll be back." The two detectives walked out, greeting Olivia.

"Kyle Turner. Go get him."

Fifteen minutes later, the two were knocking on the door of the Turner residence. Annabelle raised her badge when a boy with shaggy hair answered it, "Kyle Turner?"

"yeah." "Who are they?" Her eyes went to the 16-year-old standing slightly behind Kyle, before focusing on Mrs. Turner who was coming fast.

"Adam, take Mark upstairs and call your father." She stood in the doorway, "What is this about?"

Annabelle was quick, "we need to talk to your son…down at the precinct."

Carisi kept glancing around the house, "yeah, and we're gonna need his hockey sticks. All of them."

"What? Why?"

Annabelle looked to Sonny to speak, not entirely knowing how to answer that, "because he's under investigation for sexually assaulting his teammate."

Back at the precinct, Annabelle went to her desk to continue looking for evidence, as Olivia took her spot in interrogation with Sonny. Getting to work for less than thirty minutes before the officer at the desk spoke up, "detective."

She was quickly making her way towards the angry gentlemen at the front of the room, "thanks," she nodded to the officer, holding a hand out for the other man to shake, "Mr. Turner. I'm detective Barba."

"Where's Kyle," he asked, not giving her a second to breathe.

"He's with your wife. They are in the middle of an interview."

"I don't think," he spoke with his hands up, "I'm taking him home."

"Well. Uh, we, uh, we are allowed to question him with a consenting parent. Which we have."

"Listen! I decide what happens to my son. Me. Now, where is Kyle?"

"Mr. Turner? Can I help you?" Annabelle visibly relaxed as Olivia's voice sounded from somewhere behind her.

"I don't know what my wife agreed to, but Kyle is done talking. I cannot risk him accidently saying something that's gonna ruin his career. He's got too much to lose."

"Oh, I agree with you," Annabelle knew that tone, "but we have two witnesses that say they saw him assaulting Jack."

"I don't care if you have two hundred witnesses. You have the wrong kid," Annabelle opened her mouth to speak, looking to Olivia when she had no words. "I guess I need to call a lawyer, huh? Waste everyone's time and money. That's what you're telling me?" He spoke fast, pulling his cell phone out.

"That's not necessary," Olivia spoke, releasing a gust of air, "Uh, if you wait here, I'll let your wife and son know that they're free to go," and then she started walking away instantly.

Annabelle quickly followed, "we're turning the kid loose?"

"The lab ran the hockey sticks," Benson held up her phone, "there's no blood. No DNA. So, Kyle must've gotten rid of the one he used." Repocketing the phone she continued, "you and Fin go to the hospital, first thing in the morning. Get him to tell you who attacked him."

-xXx-

"Hi, Jack. How you feeling?"

"Okay."

"good," she sat down in the empty chair next to his bed, "so, we talked to Timmy and Will, and they told us what really happened."

"We just need to hear it from you," Fin spoke, hands resting on the railing at the foot of the bed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Look, man, I get it. These are your teammates, your friends, and you don't wanna rat 'em out."

"But that's not what you're doing, cause we already know who did it. He was at the precinct hours ago, and he feels terrible about –"

"You talked to Kyle?"

"Kyle? Kyle Turner?" Annabelle froze when Mrs. Wilson spoke up, "you said you didn't see who attacked you." She looked away from her son, "it can't be…Timmy and Will didn't…they're idiots, but Jack and Kyle have known each other since kindergarten. They're inseparable."

"You guys are sure it was him?"

Annabelle nodded as Fin confirmed Mr. Wilson's question, before Annabelle looked back to Jack, "We do need your son to confirm it."

"forget about the team, Jack, just go ahead and tell them," the parents agreed with wet eyes.

It was silent for a few minutes before the blonde boy spoke up, "I never seen him like that before."

Annabelle swallowed the lump in her throat, "who?"

"Kyle! Okay? Kyle. It was like he was this whole other person. Timmy and Will grabbed me, I couldn't move. Couldn't fight back. Suddenly Kyle had the stick, and he looked at me all crazy and he…and I just, I don't know." Jack paused, taking a few short breaths, "and then it was over."

"I don't understand. He came to see you here. At the hospital."

"You don't mind, we need some time alone."

The two detectives nodded and went to exit, pausing at Jack's voice, "what's going to happen to Kyle?"

Fin spoke from behind her, "we're gonna arrest him."

"Tell him that…I know he didn't mean it."

-xXx-

"Liv said the Turner family is on their way. Kyle fractured his wrist."

"Possible abuse?" Fin merely nodded at Amanda's question.

Finishing up a few emails to Emma and Yelena, she waited for the family to appear, instantly pulling out a few coloring pages and crayons. "Hi, Mark." She nodded to the officer who brought him over, "do you wanna color with me?" With his silent nod, she picked up the green crayon, and they colored three pages before Mrs. Turner came out, leaving the newest detective to get back to her paperwork.

"Belle, come on," she grabbed her coat, throwing an inquisitive look his way, "Leu wants us to go talk to Jack and his parents again."

Taking the ten-minute drive to the hospital, they were brisk in their pace to Jack's room in Mercy, frowning when he wasn't in there. Sharing a look with Sonny, they went to the nurse's station, "excuse me. Sorry, can you tell us where Jack Wilson was moved to?"

She began clicking away at the computer, "are you with the special victims' unit?" Annabelle nodded. "Didn't anyone call you? Jack Wilson died twenty minutes ago."

"Uhm, thank you. Can you tell me where his parents are?"

"Waiting room down the hall," she motioned to the left, receiving a nod from the other two as they started to walk away.

The room was empty, aside from the grieving couple, "Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, I am so sorry about Jack."

"Can you tell us what happened," Carisi chimed in.

The two took a seat when Mrs. Wilson nodded, "he had a fever. Uhm, they said all he needed was fluids. Antibiotics. We didn't think anything of it."

"Then his blood pressure started dropping. They rushed him into intensive care, but…they said it was an infection." Mrs. Wilson began crying again, her husband tightening his grip on her hand, "someone needs to pay for this."

Carisi nodded, "we'll be charging Kyle Turner with manslaughter."

"go ahead and charge Kyle, but its his sick son of a bitch father you should really be after."

"Why do you say that," she shared a look with Carisi after Mr. Wilson's statement.

"He got into Kyle's head. Turned him into a bully. I've seen what he did to the older one, too. Who know how long Mark has before that lunatic started in on him."

"You've witnessed abuse," Annabelle questioned slowly, imagining different scenarios due to Mr. Wilson's words.

"He's always berating! Pushing! Grabbing!"

"Have you ever seen him hit Kyle," she tried again, wanting more details.

"I didn't have to. With guys like him, you can tell. I didn't think it was my business, but all that pressure and rage. It was only a matter of time. If you ask me, his father is just as much responsible as Kyle is for my son's death!" He finally broke, tears falling from his eyes.

-xXx-

"You okay?"

Annabelle shook her head, "Not really, but I will be."

"Bad case?" She nodded, not wanting to explain it. Rafael wrapped an arm around her, "it'll be okay, love."

She gave him a small smile, "I think I'm gonna go to bed since Lina is zonked out." She left the comfort of the couch, "after all, I get to celebrate my first case as a detective in family court first thing in the morning."

The next morning, when she woke up, she took a quick shower to prepare for the day, hoping to wash away her sensitivity, before getting dressed in a pair of light teal skinny jeans, a long-sleeved navy button up and a white peacoat. Smiling as she matched her orange heels to a large purse, she slipped out of the house and towards a cab.

Getting a small cup of coffee from her favorite vendor, she went towards where she knew Fin would be waiting, only to frown when she noticed Olivia next to the man. "Morning," her greeting was slow and full of question.

"Didn't you get my text?"

The detective patted herself down, before digging into the newly filled bag, "I apparently left my phone at home," she groaned before smiling at Olivia, "I like that shirt."

Benson laughed, "thanks."

"Since I've been replaced, Imma head over to the precinct. I need food and a bigger cup." She gestured to the coffee that was now warming Fin's hands, from where he had taken it from her moments before.

It wasn't but a couple of hours later, while she was working on finalizing her paperwork for the case, that Carisi spoke, "Adam Turner filmed his dad beating him."

-xXx-

"Is Taylor playing again this year?" Annabelle nodded, taking a large bite of her chili. "Are you bringing Ed Sheeran back?"

Annabelle shook her head, "the governor had a request, so I complied to said request."

"Who was his request?"

"One Direction." She laughed when Olivia and Sonny both made faces, "Hey, I like them. And they're all super friendly."

"All of them? They're teenage boys."

"Yes, Carisi, I know that. And they were all friendly when I spoke to them. It's not like they're gonna be dicks to the person in charge of the charity event." Taking a drink of her water after a spicier bite than normal, she continued, "Plus, they're both only doing one song a piece. Alex said there was quite a bit of complaints about it being more concert like than banquet."

"Since when is he Alex?"

Annabelle shrugged, "Since it takes longer to say Mr. Munoz…anyway, the plan is to have Taylor and the guys both play a Christmas song." She paused to take another bite, "Emma has created a couple of playlists to get us through the night, and everything seems to be going on plan."

Olivia went to reply, her ringing cellphone cutting her off, "Benson. Yeah, I'm on my way." She hung up, already standing from her seat and making to grab her wallet, which Annabelle waved off, "Jury's back on the Andrews case."

The two remaining detectives finished their lunches before going their separate ways, Carisi back to the precinct and Annabelle to her dress fitting, as her gown had arrived in New York the night before.

Rafael came home late that night, kissing his wife fully on the month, "happy birthday, carino."

She gave him a small smile, "thanks," giving a nod towards the kitchen she continued, "dinner is in the oven."

"I'll be back," his fingers trailed across her shoulders as he passed. Annabelle listened as he tinkered around in the kitchen for a few minutes before the elevator sounded. Pulling the video up on her nursery cam, she watched as the almost 8-month-old continued to snooze. Closing the video once more, she unpaused the movie on her screen and closed her laptop for the final time. As she was refiling her wine, Rafael came in, now dressed in sweat pants and an old Harvard t shirt. "You eating some?" She shook her head, raising the bottle up slightly. "Pour me some?" She smiled handing over the glass she had poured just moments before, slowly bringing her own to her lips. "I'm sorry I was late."

She shrugged, "It comes with the territory." Slicing a piece of the lemon cake, she climbed onto the barstool next to her husband, "I did want more cake though."

"Where did that come from?" His eyes went from his chicken parmesan to the thick dessert.

She shrugged again, "I made it. Lucia and Catalina came by around 5, and we ate dinner. Lina likes this flavor."

"She's my daughter. She likes food."

"Not peanut butter," Annabelle smirked, licking the white frosting from the back of the fork.

-xXx-

3pm came on Sunday, with Annabelle sitting in front of her lit up vanity, silver already sparkling from her eyelids, as she added a light pink lipstick, before setting the look with her trusty spray and beginning to unroll the curlers from her hair. Ten minutes later she was slipping into her new gown, the blue tulle creating a mystical look over the light pink silk of the floor length skirt. The silver bejeweled belt wrapping around to create a barrier between the flowy skirt and the blue sweetheart corset. She jumped at the figure in the mirror's reflection, "Tyler, hi."

The student blushed, "sorry, Mr. Barba asked me to see if you were ready? He wanted to finish Cat's dinner."

"Can you tie me up?" The brunette nodded, automatically picking up the ends of the light pink ribbon when Annabelle cam close enough. "Is he already dressed?"

"Yeah," she stepped away when the bow was finished, "he was threatening to ground Cat if she threw anything at him." The two women shared a grinned before Annabelle slipped on her silver rhinestone shoes. "Are those blue bottomed?" The redhead bent her knee, letting the girl see the light blue bottom, who quickly gave an appreciative nod. "I'm officially jealous."

"What size are you?"

"Huh?"

"Shoe size. What's your shoe size, Tyler?"

"Oh," she laughed slightly, "I'm an 8."

"8 and a half. You can borrow them anytime."

"Really?" Annabelle nodded, "Oh God, thanks, Anna." She paused, looking at the clock, "Oh, you gotta go." Glancing at the clock herself, Annabelle's eyes widened before she grabbed her clutch from the bed and pressed the button to the elevator.

When the pair entered the kitchen area, Rafael greeted her with a kiss on the cheek before handing over a surprisingly clean infant, "Hi, pretty girl." A few minutes of quality time with their daughter, and then the couple was out the door, Rafael having slipped the short white faux fur coat around his wife.


	31. Jocelyn Paley

It's been awhile, so sorry about that. Here's a bit of a flashback, and a few other goodies from Rafael and Annabelle's past. Enjoy & let me know what you think! N

Chapter 31 – Jocelyn Paley

Annabelle smirked as she clicked the link that was gracing the top of her news list, her manicured nails tapping the scratched top of the wooden desk. _Jocelyn Paley's Bestselling Comeback_ , filled the top of the screen before she quickly began skimming the article, making a mental note to tell Rafael about it.

 _Annabelle redid her messy ponytail, before picking up the mechanical pencil once more, before jotting down a few ideas onto the clean white page of her large spiral notebook. Keeping her eyes on the page, she reached for her steaming cup of coffee, sighing at the loud slam that came seconds after she brushed against the hardback book sitting upon the edge of the table, causing the novel to hit the ground. Dropping the pencil with a thunk, she leaned down, aiming for the offending object, stopping as a tan hand appeared in front of her face, quickly grabbing the S &M themed novel. The well-dressed man looked at her with a single eyebrow raised as he waited for her to reclaim the property currently in his hands. With a blush, she looked away, "thanks." He sent her a smirk before continuing on his way, his cologne surrounding the auburn-haired sophomore in a valley of mystery. _

_It was two days later that she found herself back in the same coffee shop, already annoyed from having to walk over from the library as every spot in her desired section had been full when she tried to squeeze into an empty cubicle. The coffee grew colder, a chocolate chip muffin sat with a single bit missing, as the cardigan clad Arkansan furiously typed away at the keys on her dark blue laptop, "25 Acts" mocking her from its position once more at the edge of the rounded table. Annabelle paused as a familiar scent reached her nose, picking the abandoned muffin back up, she glanced around the café, eyes almost instantly catching sight of the gentleman in the cream suit. Green eyes roamed his form as she pulled a piece of the treat away before popping it into her mouth, at almost the exact moment his eyes looked in her direction. Shifting her focus back to the halfway filled page, she had to forced herself to stop from glancing in his direction. She jumped when a hand tapped her shoulder, pausing the slow country song that played in her ears, she looked up, eyes widening slightly as she realized he had joined her, now standing over her shoulder. "Do you mind? The others are all full."_

 _She glanced around quickly with her eyes, before nodding to the dark-haired stranger, "go ahead." She quickly shoved her piled section of reference material into the chair closest to her, allowing the man to have a bit of room to sit his briefcase, which was already popping open from his new position across from her._

 _They worked in silence for almost fifteen minutes, before he cleared his throat, causing the woman to look up, "Your favorite parts?"_

 _She looked to the direction he nodded, eyes landing upon the sticky note filled novel, blushing she glared at the book, "It's for research."_

 _He coughed as he had just taken a drink from his overly-large cup, "excuse me?"_

 _She grinned at the higher octave his voice had taken, "I'm an English major. I'm writing a paper discussing the differences between "25 Acts" and "Fifty Shades of Grey". Along with why these types of literature are becoming increasingly more popular each year." He nodded, biting his lip, before turning back to his yellow legal pad. "I'm Annabelle."_

" _Rafael."_

 _-xXx-_

 _The next couple of days brought the pair joining each other at the same time every day, although they never acknowledged the situation out loud. "I hate guys."_

" _Well, hello to you, too."_

" _Sorry, not you. Well, I don't think you'd be included in this list."_

" _A list of guys you hate?"_

 _She smiled, eyes softening as they met his, "guys who think they are above the law. Ya know, the ones who think they can get away with whatever they do." At his look of confusion, she simplified, "Adam Cain."_

" _Oh." He tried to be nonchalant, but his newly tensed shoulders let her know he was feeling otherwise._

" _I may not agree with Jocelyn Paley's novel theme, but I don't think she needs to be attacked in a way that emulates it. It's guys like Cain that reminds me of why I want to go into law."_

 _He paused, coffee cup still in the air, "You want to be a lawyer?"_

 _She shook her head negatively, "detective." He made a sound of interest, before finishing off his coffee cake and began packing his papers back up. "Ya know, we've been doing this for over a week, and I don't think I've asked you what it is you actually do?"_

 _He gave her a small smirk, standing up, "I'm a lawyer." She nodded with a smile, her eyes following his form once more as he leaves the little café._

 _-xXx-_

" _So what courses on being a detective require you to read Paley's book?" Annabelle jumped at the sound of the Cuban's voice, her head jerking up as he pulled the seat out across from her._

" _Double major." He said nothing, only continuing to look at her, prompting her to explain, "English and Criminal Justice. "25 Acts" is for a paper for one of my English classes, I told you I was discussing it and "50 Shades of Grey"._

" _Alright, I'll bite. What classes are you currently taking?"_

 _The long-haired sophomore closed her laptop, meeting his eyes, "I'm in Criminology, Pop Culture Novels, Elementary Statistics, Courts and the Prosecution Process, and Anatomy."_

 _He nodded, "Courts?"_

 _It was her turn to smirk, "I thought that one would catch your fancy…basically it's just the purpose of courts in society, organization and jurisdiction, prosecuting, and sentencing. I assume that isn't something you took at Harvard?"_

 _He shook his head, "Nothing like that, no, but I did have a course about constitutional history. It was almost the same thing, only it portrayed the differences through the years." His phone beeped from where he had sat it a bit earlier, reading the message he sighed, "I have to go." Slipping his peacoat back across his shoulders, he spoke again, "you should go to a couple of hearings. It could help with your class." The two acquaintances shared a smile, before he was gone once more. She was slower about opening her laptop up, this time pulling up her research on her latest criminology reading, suddenly inspired._

 _-xXx-_

 _A week later, an opportunity came for her to watch a court hearing, once she had cleared it with her professors to miss whatever classes occurred during Adam Cain's hearing, as it had to do with two of her research projects. Adjusting the jean jacket, she wore over her dark flower covered dress, she gave a nod to the security guard outside the wooden door as she slipped inside, glancing at the large watch on her wrist. 10:10am. With five minutes to go, she lowered herself into the hard-wooden pew on the last row, noting that almost every seat was taken._

 _Her gaze lingered on Rafael as he stood in front of Jocelyn Paley in a black suit, his yellow tie standing out, "Miss Paley, could you tell the jury why you agreed to say you wrote this book?"_

" _I had college debt, my parents are working class. We needed the money."_

" _So you didn't write one word of the book? You're not into being dominated?"_

" _I was playing a role. It's not me."_

" _But it was you that flirted with the defendant. And went home with him that night?"_

" _It all seemed glamourous at first. He was charming. I wanted to have sex…until he started hurting me."_

" _And what did you do then?"_

" _I asked him to stop."_

" _Did he?" The Cuban turned to face the jurors and the courtroom in general, "did he?" She didn't answer, so he turned back towards her, "I know this is difficult."_

" _No, he did not. He forced himself inside me. Choked me with his belt. I couldn't talk. The more I cried, the more he hu-hurt me."_

" _And the next night, Miss Paley? What happened then?"_

" _Adam Cain stalked me at a magazine party. Trapped me in an elevator. And raped me. Again."_

" _Can you tell the jury what consequences you face for telling the truth? Here. Today."_

" _I have to return all of my royalties. My reputation is ruined. I've wanted to write my whole life."_

" _Thank you, Miss Paley."_

 _-xXx-_

 _After a brief recess for lunch, Annabelle came back into the courtroom, missing the testimony of Paley's professor, thanks to a phone call with her own. After locking her phone into one of the many lockboxes in front of the security check in, as only officers and lawyers could have their phones on them inside, she slipped back into the room with the small notebook she had been jotting her thoughts down in, open and ready, just as Adam Cain was brought to the stand. "Did you rape Miss Paley?"_

" _I don't need to rape anyone, thank you. I do fine with volunteers." Annabelle cringed at his voice, her mind shouting that he was a prick._

" _So, you've had a lot of girlfriends?"_

 _Cain shrugged, "my fair share. It helps to have a hit tv show, plus I've been told that my company isn't entirely unpleasant."_

" _have you ever played the dominant role in sexual games?"_

" _I follow my partner's lead. If that's their pleasure, I'm glad to oblige."_

" _What was Miss Paley's pleasure?"_

" _A mutually satisfactory rough sex game. Initiated by her. Her false accusation is unfortunate as it smears real victims of rape that may not be believed."_

" _Move to strike," Annabelle smirked at Rafael's bored tone._

" _Just answer the questions, Mr. Cain." Thank you, judge._

" _Nothing further, Your Honor." Annabelle's eyes narrowed as shew watched the redheaded attorney stare at Rafael as she spoke, making the student feel as she felt the case was already over._

 _Rafael stood up, the judge picking her glasses up, 'It's late, Mr. Barba."_

" _How 'bout a half hour now, and then we can uh—"_

" _Nice try. We're adjourned." She gave a small smile as everyone began walking out, her eyes catching his after he had gathered his paperwork up. With a look of confusion, he gave her a nod before focusing his attention to the woman speaking to him._

 _-xXx-_

 _The next morning, she dressed in a pair of tight navy-blue skinny jeans, a white button up shirt, and an oversized grey cardigan before making her way to the same room as the day before, excited to see how Rafael would cross examine the suspect. Her lips pressed together when she realizes that the proceedings had already begun. She took her seat in the back row, just as Rafael spoke from his position at the table in his grey suit, "She remembers it differently."_

" _She was playing the role of a sexual submissive. Now she's playing victim."_

" _Pretending to be a sexual submissive?"_

" _She just told us that."_

" _That's right," she jumped at his slight laughter, "that's right, that's right." He stood up, buttoning his jacket. "She was inexperienced. But you weren't."_

" _Not entirely."_

" _Mr. Cain, what excites you about having sex with, uh, Jocelyn?"_

 _Cain grinned, "what excites anyone about sex?"_

 _Rafael's playful demeanor was gone, "was it the belt? The belt. That was her idea, even though she was pretending?"_

" _She wanted to try role play," Cain nodded._

 _Rafael looked at the jury before facing Cain again, "how do you, uh, start something like that?"_

" _With a belt?"_

" _Yeah. I mean, just, do you take your belt off? Or ya," he trailed off with a slight laugh._

" _That's right."_

" _And you give her a few hits with it."_

" _She seemed to enjoy it."_

" _And you put it around her neck."_

" _Yes."_

" _And you get behind her, tighten it." Annabelle stared at his hands as he made the motions to match his words._

" _Yes. I'm not sure this has to d-"_

" _Bear with me." He had moved a lot closer to Cain now, "Where was the buckle?"_

" _I don't know if I can be more specific. Would you like me to show you?"_

" _Well…actually…"_

" _Objection!" Annabelle jumped at the defense attorney's shout, "Your Honor."_

 _Rafael turned to face the redhead, "as a regular joe, I am curious about how this belt around the neck thing is exciting. I am sure, Your Honor, that the jury is curious as well."_

 _The judge stared at Rafael for a moment, "I'll allow it. For now." Annabelle smirked at the other attorney's look of disbelief._

" _Let's go back. You took off your belt."_

" _That's right."_

" _You did it. Not her." Annabelle was mesmerized by the Cuban's hands working the leather strap free of his waist._

" _Correct."_

" _You looped the belt like this." He made a slight noose, pulling it over his head._

" _Something like that."_

" _You led her to bed. Got on top. And pulled it."_

" _The game she wanted to play." Why is Cain not sweating yet? Annabelle shifted in her head, anxiety building._

" _She's the one who wanted it rough?"_

" _Yes."_

" _But you didn't rape her?"_

" _No, we've gone over this. What don't you get?"_

" _Oh, I get it. It's the classic mindset of the rapist. Admit what you can't deny. Deny what you can't admit."_

" _Objection."_

" _Withdrawn! You said that she wanted it rough. So, show me how she likes it." He turned his back to Cain, the length of his belt dangling in front of the talk show host. "Show me. Show me. Let me see how she liked it."_

" _Objection."_

 _The judge watching Rafael's movements, "let's proceed cautiously, Mr. Barba."_

 _Rafael didn't move, "alright. Take the belt in your hands, Mr. Cain." He did as he was told. "Feel the leather. Hold the belt. Show me how you pulled the belt." He pulled very slightly. "You can do better than that." Again, only a little stronger. "You call that being dominate? Show me. Show mee. Pull it. Pull it. PULL IT. TELL ME HOW YOU LIKE. SHOW ME HOW YOU LIKE IT. Mr. Cain, come on. Pull it. PULL IT."_

" _Like this!" Cain stood up, gripping Rafael's shoulder as he yanked the belt, the sudden actions causing Annabelle to gasp from her seat, her fingernails digging into the dark wood beneath her._

" _Your Honor!" "Alright. That is enough, Mr. Barba!"_

 _Cain released the attorney, who instantly began coughing. Taking a second to grab a drink of water he spoke again, "Not a mark. Not a mark," he breathed still slightly hoarse, before grabbing a photograph from his closed folder, "People's exhibit twenty. Jocelyn Paley's neck, after their consensual sex game." He moved so everyone was able to see it, before turning himself and it to Adam Cain, "is this what excites you about sex, Mr. Cain? Hurting your victims."_

" _She liked it like that."_

" _You mean Jocelyn. You liked it like that. She didn't."_

 _-xXx-_

 _Three days later, the jury finally came back to deliver their verdict. "On the charge of rape in the first degree, how you find?"_

" _We find the defendant, Adam Cain, guilty."_

" _Bailiff, take the defendant into custody." The courtroom was silent as the award-winning talk show host was taken from the room. Once court was dismissed, Annabelle slowly made her way outside to face the cloudy day._

 _She watched from afar as Rafael spoke to Jocelyn Paley and two other women, before she started making her way down the stairs. She jumped when a hand touched her elbow. She turned quickly, "Hi."_

" _Took my advice, did you?"_

 _She smiled, "Sometimes you just need to listen to your attorney." She winked, "congratulations, by the way." She nodded towards the mass of reporters at the bottom of the stairs, "It looks like your fans are awaiting your arrival."_

 _He smirked, "they can wait a bit longer. You free for dinner tomorrow night?"_

 _She felt the heat rising to her face, "Yeah."_

" _Good. I'll pick you up at seven."_

 _She watched as they walked towards the reporters, seeing him get swallowed in the crowd, before answering the phone vibrating against her left hip, "Hi, momma."_

-xXx-

"What has you so quiet?"

Annabelle quickly turned her head, catching sight of her towel clad husband, "I was just thinking about the day you asked me on our first date."

He smirked, "I was a cocky little ass."

"It's only been five years," she stood up kissing his lips softly, "Hate to break it to ya, babe, but you're still a cocky ass." She smacked his behind when he dropped the towel to get dressed, causing him to chuckle, "I do enjoy looking at it though." She took her wedding rings off, finishing up her nightly ritual before speaking again, "Ya know, that was the day I decided to stop trying to be a cop."


	32. Chapter 32

Hello, my lovely readers! First off, I just wanna say how happy I am that everyone is enjoying this story, and thanks to everyone who has followed and/or favorited it. Here is the latest chapter…I hope you enjoy it and I would love to hear what you think!

Chapter 32 – Genes

Annabelle smiled as Catalina shrieked in delight as she splashed around in the too large bathtub. "are you having fun?" The almost one year old babbled as she kept playing, "You are. Well—"

"Mama!"

Annabelle blinked, "what did you just say?" Catalina's hazel eyes sparkled at her mother before she went back to the animals. "Did you say mama? Say it again?" The baby continued ignoring the detective, intent of making the yellow duck stay underwater with the blue duck on top. After the baby's brown hair was clean and Catalina was curled up in her Tinkerbell pajamas, Annabelle changed into a pair of light green silk pajama bottoms and a tank top with a saying about sushi on the front before bypassing her ever working husband in his office as she headed towards the kitchen to get that slice of strawberry cheesecake she had been thinking about for the past hour. She was halfway through the rather large slice when Rafael appeared in a pair of dark grey sweats. Offering him a bit of the red swirled dessert, she spoke, "she called me mama."

His hazel eyes widened momentarily before he swallowed the only bite he would be offered, "That's great!"

"You know what that means?" He broke a piece off with his fingers, ignoring her look of protest. "You owe me five bucks, sir."

"How do you remember that? We made that bet six months ago."

"Five, and I remember everything. So, keep that in mind if you ever decide to do secret things."

He chuckled, taking her now empty plate to the sink, "I'll keep that in mind." He slipped an arm around her waist, "let's go to bed, love."

-xXx-

"Security cam footage near the bar, it shows Rodney grabbing Jessica, but she pulls away. Walks off. He watches her for a couple seconds, then he heads the other direction," Annabelle spoke, smiling in thanks as Carisi slipped a steaming cup atop her desk.

"Collaborates his story for now," she nodded as Carisi stated the obvious.

"Rodney's DNA doesn't match the semen in the rape kit, but good news is…we got a familial hit to a guy named Mark Brown," Olivia spoke from the doorway to her office, Annabelle keeping an ear out as she typed away for more security footage. "Anna, homicide called and want you on the case from last week. Head over there when you get a chance, and we'll keep you in the loop here, in case you're needed."

Annabelle gave her lieutenant a nod, "yes, ma'am." She quickly gathered her stuff, slipping her black peacoat over her slacks and blue button up top and walked to the elevator, dialing her husband's number as she went. It took him two rings to answer, "Hey, just wanted to let you know I'm heading to the Bronx. They called me in for last week."

"The rape murder case? Don't they have their own detectives?"

"Raf," she smiled at the guy holding the door open at the front of the building, "I was first on the scene, which is technically on you since we were visiting your mother."

"I know. Be safe, carino."

"Always. Bye."

-xXx-

Annabelle stood from her makeshift desk in the Bronx Homicide precinct, following Sargent Flores when motioned, along with three other people. "February 2nd, we were called to the scene of Marie Chambers attack. Firefighters were called to her burning car, hearing her call for help. Detective Barba, here," he motioned towards the redhead, "was first on the scene, so I called her in to help us out on the case. We have her for the week, maybe longer. Barba will be flopping from here to Manhattan SVU, make sure you keep her in the loop. Barba," he looked directly at her now, "you oversee this investigation. Find the killer."

She gave a short nod, "yes, sir." The group was dismissed, and once they were out of the small office, she turned towards the three men, "Feel free to call me Anna – I'm rarely referred to by my last name. What do we know about the vic?"

"She's uh, 17. Went to IHS," Detective Ramirez elaborated at her look of confusion, "Bronx International High School. She was a senior."

"We interviewed the parents, told us no one had a problem with her. Haven't got past them."

Annabelle nodded as Detective Teigen finished for his partner. "Okay, then let's talk to them again. Find out her friends. Get her social media information. We need to visit the school as well." She bit her lip, glancing at the time on her phone, "Okay, get everything you have on the case to me tonight, and we'll start fresh tomorrow. Sound good?" The three older men nodded causing her to smile, "Alright. Awesome. Then get a good night's rest. We go non-stop starting at 9am."

-xXx-

She was walking into the front door when her phone rang. She sighed, hitting the green button, "Barba."

"Hey, what do you remember about the River Rapist?"

Annabelle bit her lip, as she thought, "uses wool socks to gag his vics, uhm…ice picks, and something about cigars. Why? What's up?" She placed a kiss on Catalina's head as she walked through the living room, where Paw Patrol was currently playing.

"Our suspect for the Walcot rape says he knows who the guy is."

She dropped her check down to her chest, "I have the files for the case on my laptop. I'll be there in thirty." She stopped in her bedroom long enough to trade her heels for a pair of tennis shoes, uncaring about how her style looked now, before joining her daughter and babysitter momentarily, "I've gotta go back to the precinct. I'll be home when I can. Sorry, Tyler."

"It's fine. I knew what I signed up for when I accepted the job." The older woman gave an exasperated laugh before walking out of the room once more.

Twenty-five minutes after five, she was sitting at her desk, surrounded by Carisi and Rollins. "Nick Brown says that he knows who the River Rapist is. He's not bringing this up out of the goodness of his heart, what does he want in exchange?"

"Don't know. Liv is talking to Barba number one right now."

She smirked when her phone went off from its place at the top of its desk, "speak of the devil." Clicking the right button, "Hey, Liv."

"You feel like going to Riker's with your husband?"

"Uhm, sure?"

"Lucy called, and Noah's got a temp, so I need to see about him. You'd had a long day, I can have Rollins or –"

"No, no it's cool. I'll head to the courthouse now."

"Thanks, Anna."

She slipped her black peacoat on quickly, shoving the object into her pocket, "Looks like I'm headed to speak to Nicky boy. See ya'll later."

An hour and a half later, the couple was sitting in front of Nick Brown and his lawyer. "We talked to Lieutenant Benson. Sounds like you can help us out, so I'm willing to offer you a deal. Rape Two," he paused, "assuming your information is credible."

"I was thinking -"

"Rape Two is as good as it's going to get."

"Yes. Uh, that sounds fair to me," Nick stuttered out.

Annabelle kept the smirk off her face, "So, who is the River Rapist?"

"I know him by Sam."

"You don't know his full name?" Rafael was instantly becoming frustrated, showing how much he hated to give a deal to the rapist.

"No."

"Know where he lives? Works?"

Nick shook his head at the Cuban's questions, "no."

Annabelle let out a breath of air, "So, what the hell do you know?"

"Where he'll be at tonight at 10."

-xXx-

The next morning, Annabelle dressed in a pair of blue skinny jeans, a brown turtle neck, and chunky brown boots before tossing everything into a large blue purse and jetting out the door, long hair pulled half up. Forty-five minutes later, she was arriving at the Bronx International High School in her new blue 2015 Range Rover, her early anniversary slash late Christmas gift from Rafael the month before. It wasn't very long after that she was carefully going through Marie Chambers' former locker. Books, binders, make up, photos. "She was great."

Her eyes shifted, the only sign that she heard the voice to her left. "Were ya'll friends?"

The black-haired teenager nodded, glancing towards the photograph in her hand, "We became friends in ninth grade. Cheerleaders in tenth. I'm Aimee."

"What tell you tell me about her?"

Aimee shrugged, "she was great. I got bullied the first couple of months we moved here…for being white, but Mar…Mar didn't care. She told a couple of her old friends off for it."

Annabelle held up one of the pictures that had been taped up in the locker, "do you know who this is?"

"That's Jacob…Tellis. He's her boyfriend. Well, he was…most of the time at least."

"What do you mean?"

"They broke up a lot. He's really jealous, and they would fight a lot, and she would dump him. Couple days were pass, and they'd show up at school happy again."

"Jacob goes here?"

"He got expelled for fighting." Annabelle interviewed a few more students, before calling it a day and heading back out to her vehicle to grab a quick lunch and regroup before going to the Homicide precinct.

Walking into the precinct twenty minutes later, she was met by a file holding Detective Teigen, "here are the notes from both interviews with the parents. We got their permission to look at Marie Chambers' phone records, so we've already put the call in for those. Learn anything at IHS?"

She nodded, motioning for the other two men to join them before she continued with the conversation and her findings.

-xXx-

"Dinner's ready," Rafael paused in the doorway, "what are you doing?"

Annabelle looked away from the new whiteboard hanging on her wall, "creating a timeline."

"I see that. Why?"

She shrugged, "Got the phone records in for my homicide case before I left the precinct. Hopefully I'll have something to go on tomorrow."

"No success today?"

She did a motion with her hand to let him know it was about fifty/fifty. "She had a violent boyfriend…but that's about it. She's a teenager, so her phone is probably gonna tell me a few things."

"Why didn't you just use the actual phone?"

"Burned in the car. This is all we've got." She sighed, staring at the board while recapping the marker, "what's for dinner?"

The couple took their time eating Rafael's chicken alfredo, both smiling as they watched Catalina feed herself. Thoughts of SVU and murdered cheerleaders were driven far from their minds as their ten-month-old daughter shrieked in delight. Their minds couldn't stay clear for long though, after the dishes were washed and the baby had drifted off to dreamland, the couple went their separate ways to their personal offices and went back to their individual cases. It wasn't until 3am that Annabelle was crawling into bed after taking a few photos of her designed timeline to add to the whiteboard at the precinct the next day.

-xXx-

Wednesday morning brought Annabelle forcing herself from the comforts of her bed, before dressing in a pair of straight legged dark wash jeans, a blue grey tank top, and a grey knit cardigan, as she started her day by driving down the interstate in the pouring rain. She made it in before her three co-workers, which allowed her to quickly put her timeline onto the shared board, next to the victim's picture, all while downing her overly large coffee.

When the men came in, she quickly started to walk through the timeline with them. "The only communication Marie Chambers had with her boyfriend after school let out was at 4:52pm, when she told him that she would go out to eat with him, as long as he paid. At 4:59 they shared a 33 second phone call. She makes a call to Jacob Tellis at 5:29, which lasts fifteen seconds, but she receives nothing until 5:34 when Tellis calls her. At 6:11, Marie calls Aimee Withers. At 6:48 she calls her mother. That doesn't even last a minute and a half. At 7:42, Marie receives a call from Tellis, and a text message right after. At 8:07 on the 2nd, 911 gets the call about the burning Kia."

"You're saying the last person to see her was the boyfriend?"

"The boyfriend that has a history of violence."

Annabelle nodded to confirm what both men were saying," which means, we need to interview him as soon as possible."

"What about Withers?"

"Why don't you and Teigen take Withers? We can take Tellis."

"I have a meeting to re-interview the firefighters. You wanted me to schedule that yesterday?"

Annabelle nodded, "Right. Forgot about that. Uhm, okay, I'll take Tellis. Follow whatever leads you get today, and we can all meet back here at 4 to go over everything?"

"Sounds good." "Yup." Andrews merely nodded, before the three men separated, allowing Annabelle to grab her bag and phone before following behind them to take the stairs down one floor to the exit.

Forty minutes later, she was sitting in front of Jacob Tellis, the 18-year-old African-American former boyfriend of Marie Chambers. "You were dating Marie?" He nodded, choosing not to answer verbally. "And ya'll went out on the night of February 2nd." Another nod. "Walk me through it. When did ya'll decide to go out that night? When was the last time you spoke? I need to know everything you can tell me."

His brown eyes narrowed, "She text me at like 4:30. I called her 'round 5:30 to come get me. We went to Taco Bell for a while."

"How long is awhile, Jacob?"

"I don't know…like thirty…forty minutes."

"We came back to my place."

"how long before she left? What were ya'll doing?"

"Nothin'. We just chilled."

"When did she leave?" He didn't answer. "Jacob, when did she leave?"

"I don't know."

"Dude, I'm trying to trust you, but you're making it really hard. I don't care about anything except for who murdered her, okay?"

"We just chilled." Annabelle stared him down, noting how he became fidgety the longer she held it. He sighed, "We might've smoked a little." She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Pot, okay? We got high. And we went to the clubhouse."

"Okay, what's the clubhouse?" He hesitated. "Jacob, help me out here. I don't care that you smoked weed, and I don't care if you did anything harder. I just want to talk about Marie. Okay?"

"It's the old wooden clubhouse behind my place. It's been there since before we moved in. We used ta go there to fuck, a'ight?"

"Alright. So, after ya'll went to eat. You came back here to the clubhouse, got high, and had sex, right?" He nodded, "Okay, so when did she leave?"

"Like 7…7:15. I called her at almost 8."

"How long did you talk?"

"We didn't. She didn't answer, so I left a voicemail. I texted her right after. Told her I'd call the next day."

"What did you do the rest of the night?"

"My boy came over, and we smoked a couple."

Annabelle nodded, swiping a piece of hair that fell into her face, "I got permission to check your phone records, or do I need to get a warrant?"

"Nah, mami, you got it."

"Thanks for your help," she pulled a card from her back pocket, "call me if you can think of anything else."

-xXx-

"The first responders said they were dispatched at 8:07 and arrived on scene at 8:09. The kia was still on fire, and Marie Chambers was running towards them, screaming for help. They had her in blankets to smother the fire."

"I got there right after," Annabelle gave a nod, "asked who did it to her. She told me 'Eric'…does anyone have any ideas on who that is?"

All three men shook their heads negatively, before Teigen took over for his usual partner, "Aimee Withers was not helpful. She just kept saying how great Marie was. She did say that she missed a call from her, which is what Marie's records show."

Ramirez shifted in his seat, "I went back to her mother, and asked about the phone call that happened before 7. Said it seemed too quiet in the car. Said her daughter always had music playing in the background. She was supposed to meet up with Jacob Tellis around 5, home by 7. She was calling to say she had gotten caught up and was on her way back."

Anna finished writing down her notes, before looking back up, "It's progress. I spoke to Tellis. He verified pretty much the same things that her phone records gave us. His times were shaky but seemed similar to what we already knew. They went to Taco Bell then back to his house to have sex. Said she left no later than 7:15."

"What's next, boss?"

Annabelle let out a huff of breath, "someone get a lock on the towers her cell pinged from. Let's see if it'll tell us anything. See if there were any stops. Maybe we'll get lucky and we'll see something on security cameras." After another hour of typing paperwork, the lead detective left the precinct, intent on getting home early enough to have dinner finished by the time Rafael walked in the door. Her body was screaming for an early night.

-xXx-

Thursday came with Annabelle pulling on a pair of cream-colored skinny jeans and a pale pink sweater to help deal with the 30-degree weather, before grabbing a slice of jam covered toast on her way out the door, the text from Teigen telling her the tower locations were in, fueling her to go quicker. Walking into the precinct, the men instantly gravitated towards her, Teigen silently handing her the freshly printed papers. "Tell me something good, please."

"We have her whereabouts from when she came home from school til 8pm. At 5:29 it shows that she was near a store, headed south from her house. At 6pm, she was closer to his house. From 6:04 to 6:11 the tower included the area that the Taco Bell Tellis said they were at. The phone is at his house from 6:17 until 7:17, then at 7:30 it pings the tower on Herron Road-"

"That's not a probable route home."

"That's what I thought. She's on Herron Road until 8:04, in which I think the phone became too hot to stay on and shut itself off."

"And the two 911 calls came in three minutes later, followed by the responders."

Teigen and Annabelle both nodded at Ramirez's statement, before the newest detective spoke, "So whatever happened between 6:48 when she called her mother with a too silent background and 8:04 when the phone finally shut down. That's less than two hours. Okay…so…next step would be trying to find cameras anywhere we can. Teigen, go to the store the phone pinged at, see if they have cameras. Ramirez revisit the two callers…see if they saw anything suspicious. Jackson, put the call in for any street cams, and I'm going to Taco Bell. Group text if you find anything that can't be discussed at 4 when we meet back up."

Fifty-six minutes passed by the time Annabelle made it to the designated Taco Bell, where she quickly walked in, thankful that there only seemed to be a few cars in the parking lot. She stepped up to the counter, flashing her badge to the cashier, "Hi, is there a manager I can speak with?"

The teenager's eyes widened slightly, "Uhm…yeah, I mean, yes. I mean, uhm, I'll go get her."

She didn't have to wait very long before an authoritative woman appeared with a smile as she walked around the counter, "Hello, I'm Karen," she shook Annabelle's hand, "how can I help you?"

"I need to get in touch with the people working on the night of February 2nd, as well as any and all camera footage you have."

"Sure, just follow me to the back and I get everything for you," she walked as she spoke, "Now, we don't actually have tapes, so you'll have to watch everything here, unless you want to take the entire monitoring system."

"If you can start it at about 5:45pm on the 2nd, that'd be great."

The woman did that, allowing Annabelle to sit at the desk, before disappearing to get the schedule and to check on the employees currently clocked in. Seeing nothing unusual on the screens, her eyes refocused on the sheet of paper the woman was holding in front of her. "At 5:45, we had five people on the clock. Two managers, two cooks, and a cashier. By nine we had one cook, one cashier and a manager."

"Okay. I need to speak to anyone working from 5pm to 7."

"Sure. I'll get you the numbers of Paisley, Alex, and Eric."

"Did you say Eric?"

"Yes. Eric Withers. He was the manager from 11am to 6:30 that night." They switched places, allowing the older woman to type at the computer, while Annabelle sent a text out.

To Homicide group: Think I found Eric.

-xXx-

An hour later, Annabelle was entering the fourth-floor hallway of a rundown apartment complex at University Heights, a gut feeling telling her that she had Marie's killer sitting unaware inside. She knocked twice, adjusting her coat as she waited, looking up as she hears the locks on the door coming out of place. However, the words stopped short when someone unexpected opened the brown metal door. "Aimee?"

"Detective Barba. Did you have more questions for me?"

"Not exactly. I'm actually looking for Eric Withers. Your brother, I assume?"

The blacked haired teenager nodded, moving so the older woman could enter, "he's getting dressed for work. Would you like a soda or something?"

Annabelle shook her head negatively, taking the offered seat on the old stained up couch. "How are you doing, Aimee?"

Aimee's demeanor changed instantly, the inquisitive teenager looked at detective with tears in her eyes, before she shrugged, "Do you know who killed her yet? Why do you want to talk to my brother?"

Annabelle gave her a small smile, "Not yet. I go wherever the case leads me. You never know when you're gonna find a witness."

"You think my brother is a witness?"

Annabelle shrugged, "Maybe."

"Aimes, who's this?"

Annabelle stood up quickly, turning to face the suspect. "Hi," she held a hand out for him to shake, "I'm detective Barba. I wanted to ask you a few questions about your shift on February 2nd."

"I'm going to be late for work."

"It won't take very long."

His dark eyes narrowed slightly, before he focused on the second female in the room, "Don't you have homework to do?" Once she was gone, his shoulders seemed to relax, as he motioned for Annabelle to retake her seat, plopping into the single chair across from her, "what questions can I answer?"

"You worked the evening of the 2nd, correct?"

He nodded, "probably. I'm off on Sundays and Wednesdays, so I was there unless it was one of those two days."

"Do you remember seeing Marie Chambers that night?" He didn't hesitate before telling her no. "Are you sure? She was there with her boyfriend fifteen minutes before your shift ended."

"I'm telling you I didn't see her. She must've come in while I was doing my paperwork."

Annabelle nodded, "Okay. What about after work? What did you do then?"

"I came home. I always come home. Aimee made dinner."

Annabelle stood up, "thanks for you time." He stood, walking her to the door, where she paused, "And you're sure you can't remember seeing or hearing anything that might be able to help me?"

"Nope. Sorry," and he shut the door in her face before she could say another word. Firing off a text message to her team, she made her way back down the stairs, feeling eyes on her back the moment she exited onto the street. Making her way to the driver's side of her car, she glanced up, catching the form of Eric Withers watching her through one of the barred windows in his apartment.

-xXx-

"What did you get out of Withers?"

Annabelle shook her head, dropping her bag on the floor under her desk before falling into the rolling seat, "Nothing. He said he didn't even know she was there, which I know is a lie cause the cameras showed him speaking to the pair."

"That's what Paisley said. She also told me that after he talked to them, he went out for a smoke break and she heard him banging around at the dumpster. Sounded pretty angry."

"Alex said he didn't see anything that night, but he did know that Eric and Marie had a past. Apparently, they had sex when she and Tellis broke up. He became obsessed."

"And something happened between Aimee Withers and Marie. They hadn't talked in months."

Annabelle narrowed her eyes in thought, "okay. So, there is something going on with the siblings. We need to figure out what. Anything on the cams?"

Teigen shook his head negatively, "not back yet."

Annabelle sighed, staring at the note covered whiteboard for their group, "Alright. Let's call it an early night, and we'll start again tomorrow. Hopefully the cams will give us something more on Eric." Gathering their personal items, the three men left, Annabelle hesitating long enough to grab Marie Chambers' phone records, wanting to see if she and Aimee had any prior contact before the cheerleader's death. She was so engrossed in thoughts, she didn't notice the car following behind her the entire way home.


End file.
